Retail

Phoenix -- PetSmart said Wednesday that its second-quarter net income rose 19% on improved sales. The retailer also boosted its full-year earnings forecast.

PetSmart Inc. earned $93.4 million for the period ended Aug. 4, compared to $78.5 million a year ago.

Revenue rose 5.3% to $1.71 billion from $1.62 billion. Services sales, which are included in total sales, grew 7.3% to $205 million.

Same-store sales increased 3.4%.

New York — Finest Café & Marketplace has leased a storefront at 46 Trinity Place, between Edgar and Rector Streets in New York City’s financial district.

 It will be the casual dining and take-out restaurant’s fifth Manhattan location. Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, Joseph A. Aquino, executive VP, and Arthur Maglio of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group represented the landlord and tenant.

PHOENIX — PetSmart’s total sales for the quarter ended Aug. were $1.7 billion, up 5.3% from $1.6 billion for the prior-year period, showing that people are still spending money on their pets despite lingering economic challenges and cautious shopping behavior trends evident in other sectors. 

Comparable-store sales, or sales in stores open at least a year, grew 3.4%, benefitting from comparable transactions growth of 1%. Services sales, which are included in total sales, grew 7.3% to $205 million.

Woonsocket, R.I. — CVS Caremark has opened a 150,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Mt. Prospect, Ill. It will support the CVS Caremark Pharmacy Benefit Management book of business. The $67 million facility can fill 50 million prescriptions annually. Proprietary technology at the facility automates 90% of the dispensed prescriptions and 80% of the prescriptions packaged for mailing. On-site pharmacists visually check all of the prescriptions.

Target produced solid profits on tepid second quarter sales growth but joined the growing list of retailers to express reservations about the health of the consumer during the back half of the year.

Target said its U.S. stores produced a 1.2% same store sales increase during the second quarter ended August 3, and total sales increased 2.4% to $16.8 billion from $16.5 billion during second quarter last year. Operating profits grew at a meager 0.4% rate to $1.33 billion from $1.32 billion.

Lubbock, Texas -- The United Family, parent of United Supermarkets and several other grocery store banners, has launched a texting program designed to enhance shopping experiences of United Supermarkets, Market Street and Amigos guests. Shoppers who opt-in to the texting program will receive product information and savings opportunities they can use instantly.
 

DALLAS — Closeout retailer Tuesday Morning has named Michael Rouleau as the company’s CEO. Rouleau, who was appointed interim chief executive in March 2013, will also continue to serve on the company's board of directors, which he joined November 2012.

In the 1980s, animated public service commercials featuring McGruff the Crime Dog exhorted viewers that: “Together, we can take a bite out of crime.” Two decades later, department store retailer J.C. Penney is taking that spirit of teamwork to cooperatively use technology to combat retail crime in the greater Chicago area.