Sales & Marketing

Plano, Texas – Rent-A-Center Inc. reported stable profit during the first quarter of fiscal 2015. The retailer’s net income totaled $27.3 million, up 1% from $27.26 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Consolidated total revenues climbed 6% to $877.64 million, from $828.47 million. Same-store sales rose 8%.

San Diego - After a successful pilot in Boston and San Francisco, Petco is expanding its partnership with Instacart. Beginning April 28, customers in 14 metro areas served by Instacart can order from Petco stores and have everything delivered in as little as one hour.

Instacart currently serves 15 metro areas: Atlanta, Austin, Boulder, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The company plans to add several more cities before the end of 2015.

Cost-conscious consumers are continuing to seek out bargains at Supervalu's stores, prompting the company's profit to soar 50% in the fourth quarter.

Carle Place, N.Y. – Net loss at 1-800-Flowers.com Inc. grew to $10.81 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015 from $1.74 million in the same quarter the prior year. Higher operating expenses in areas including marketing and sales and technology and development helped boost net loss.

Family Dollar Stores Inc. has announced the passing of Mark R. Bernstein, a member of the company's board of directors, on April 27.

JCPenney Company Inc. has named one of its board members as its next EVP and chief marketing officer.

The company said that Mary Beth West, a highly accomplished consumer marketing executive, will join the company's executive leadership team as executive vice president and chief customer and marketing officer effective June 1. She will be stepping down from her position on its Board of Directors to assume this new role.

Minneapolis – Net earnings at Supervalu Inc. fell 14% to $36 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 from $42 million in the identical period a year earlier. Higher selling and administrative expenses, including store closure and benefit costs, helped reduce profits.

Hy-Vee is joining the legion of grocery chains with online ordering, delivery and store pickup.

According to KCCI-TV in Des Moines, Iowa, the regional supermarket is rolling out a service called Aisles Online in select stores.

The news site quotes Hy-Vee as saying that the average order has about 30 items and takes a worker about a half-hour to compile. The items are scanned, loaded up and delivered. Or customers can pick them up at the store. Delivery costs $4.95 per order, and pick-up costs $2.95 per order, with the charges dropped for orders of $100 or more.