Retail

Kroger trounced first quarter sales and profit forecasts, posting a 3.3% gain in identical store sales that drove a 92 cent a share profit.

Total sales increased 3.4% to $30 billion and the 3.3% gain in identical store sales was well ahead of analysts’ forecast of 2.8% growth. It was the company’s 38th consecutive quarter of positive identical store sales growth. Net income increased 9.6% to $481 million which translated to per share profit of 92 cents that was four cents better than the 88 cents analysts’ forecast.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s is easing the continuous integration (CI) process for its omni-channel initiatives with the implementation of the Qubell Adaptive PaaS solution. Available as a hosted platform, Adaptive PaaS provides Kohl’s with continuous application deployment, continuous testing and environment management. Specific tasks Kohl’s has executed using Adaptive PaaS include automating the front end of its development process, integrating with various technology stacks and providing developers with near-real-time feedback on their work.

LONDON — U.S. retailers can look across the pond to Tesco for some digital inspiration. The retailer is launching a new tablet app that will allow shoppers to sign up for its Tesco Clubcard. 

Tesco is looking to recruit more customers to sign up for the retailer’s loyalty card and join the 17 million who already have it. 

The app, built by mobile marketing specialists Incentivated, is hosted on dedicated iPads located in specially created branded cases attached to the walls of stores.

By Bill Leber, Swisslog

E-commerce is fundamentally changing the nature of the retail supply chain. As online shopping continues to compete with and, in many instances, overtake brick-and-mortar retail, traditional retailers are looking for more and more ways to expand their multichannel operations.

Amazon.com and Walmart.com both sell products online, but that’s where the similarities end despite frequent efforts to compare the two.

San Francisco -- The Gymboree Corporation has appointed former Levi Strauss & Co. executive Joelle Maher as the company's new COO.  

At Levi Strauss & Co., Maher was most recently executive VP, president global retail, and prior to that senior VP of Americas multichannel retail, and VP, planning, allocation, stores, store operations and outlet.

She also held executive leadership positions at Lucky Brand Jeans, Old Navy and Macy's East.

Walmart isn’t the first place that comes to mind as a destination for professional business attire so at first blush it was a bit odd to see the company affiliated with a group called Dress for Success Worldwide.

That said, there is more to Dress for Success than meets the eye which is why Walmart, in keeping with its female empowerment objectives, contributed $500,000 to the organization with week. The funds were presented during a special event held in conjunction with the Walmart Northwest Arkansas LPGA Championship.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Pier 1 Imports saw “significant” growth in sales and profit for the 15th consecutive quarter.