Retail

When it comes to buying online, customers have more choice than ever. The crowded space means that shoppers are being offered countless new ways to buy and utilizing new technology to make their purchases. More important, customers are altering how they shop and taking a closer look at who they’re buying from. Shopping experiences are less a cold cash transaction and more of a way to participate in an ethos or at the very least, to support a company that understands exactly what and how you like to purchase your items.

Atlanta – Chick-fil-A is running a “Breakfast on Us” cross-channel promotion that offers a free breakfast entrée to customers who make an online reservation for any Chick-fil-A restaurant. Beginning Aug. 29, customers can visit Chick-fil-AForBreakfast.com to reserve a breakfast entree of choice, as well as a time to redeem their breakfast item at a local Chick-fil-A restaurant between Sept. 9 and Spt. 14.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Genesco Inc., a specialty retailer which sells footwear, headwear, sports apparel and accessories, continues navigating through uncertain consumer environments as second quarter results fell short of expectations.

New York -- Analysts project that Francesca’s, a junior apparel and accessories retailer, will have the retail industry’s fastest rates of growth during the next three years, Bloomberg reported.

Francesca’s plans to expand to 900 stores, or double its current store count, in the next seven years.  The chain is projected by analysts to grow sales by 80% during the next three years, faster than any other apparel retailer, according to the report.

Regional department store chain Gordmans gave shareholders a huge gift this week when the private equity controlled company’s board said it had borrowed $45 million to fund a $3.61 special dividend after reporting lackluster second quarter results.

Nashville, Tenn. -- Footwear retailer Genesco estimated second-quarter results below analysts' forecast. The company also slashed its adjusted profit outlook for the current year.

“We are disappointed that our second quarter performance fell short of expectations,” said Robert J. Dennis, chairman, president and CEO of Genesco. “Sales trends proved to be more challenging as the quarter progressed and results came in below our plan. The third quarter has gotten off to a difficult start with comparable sales down 3% through Aug. 24.

Destin, Fla. — H&M and Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill will anchor a 100,000-sq.-ft. expansion of Destin Commons slated to open in mid-2014.

Construction is underway on the 20,000-sq.-ft H&M store, the first H&M in northwest Florida.

Uncle Buck’s, a concept by Bass Pro Shops, will offer casual dining and 16 lanes of bowling. Uncle Buck’s has also taken 20,000 sq. ft.

The expansion will include about 20 additional stores and restaurants.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Chico's FAS’s financial results for the second quarter ended Aug. 3 were affected by a lower transaction count and average dollar sales, primarily because of lower traffic and the cycling of strong comparable sales last year.

The company reported net income of $43.6 million for the quarter — a decrease of 18.4% compared to $53.4 million in the year-ago quarter, and earnings per diluted share of $0.27, a decrease of 15.6% compared to $0.32 per diluted share in the year-ago quarter.