Sales & Marketing

Increases in cost of sales, operating expenses and depreciation resulted in net income dropping at Kirkland’s Inc. during a generally disappointing first quarter of fiscal 2016.
 
The specialty home décor chain’s net income totaled $916 million, down 64% from $2.53 billion in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. Net sales rose 10% to $129.91 million from $118.31 million, below expectations. Same-store sales edged up 0.5%.
 

Retailers will be excited by the prospect of employees that are never late and don’t need to take breaks or even be paid, but will customers accept them?
 

Taubman Centers COO William Taubman offered insights on shoppers, property trends and how technology is changing the fundamental experience and brand promise of shopping centers.

To watch his wide ranging conversation with ICSC’s Jesse Tron, click here.

 

Doing deals with real estate development and services firm CASTO just got easier thanks to the roll out of a new Web-based software platform called LeasePilot.

LeasePilot was developed by Gadfly Legal Technologies to streamline the lease documentation process and helps owners manage valuable lease information. CASTO is currently using LeasePilot to create the first drafts of leases.

Despite improved net sales, DSW Inc. saw net earnings decline substantially during the first quarter of fiscal 2017.
 
The footwear retailer reported net income of $30.01 million, down 37% from $47.37 million in the prior year quarter. Growing cost of sales and operating expenses, as well as a pretax expense from the February purchase of online footwear retailer Ebuys Inc., cut into profit even as net sales rose 4% to $681.27 million, from $655.47 million. Ebuys contributed $15.1 million in net sales.
 

Best Buy Co. Inc. surpassed Wall Street expectations with rising profits and declining revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2017, and CFO/CAO Sharon McCollam announced she will retire June 14.
 

Hotels have become a vital component of successful mixed use retail properties, something Robert Habeeb knows a lot about given his role as president and CEO of First Hospitality Group.
 

Amazon.com has been encroaching on Barnes & Noble Education’s collegiate bookstore business with a rapidly expanding network of campus pickup locations, but Barnes & Noble is striking back.
 
Fourteen colleges and universities have selected Barnes & Noble College as their partner of choice to operate their campus bookstores. The 14 new contracts represent 23 new campus and virtual bookstores. The schools represent a projected additional 140,000 students and their faculty.