Sales & Marketing

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl's Corp. reported better-than-expected profit for its fourth-quarter profit, helped by strong holiday sales.
 
The retailer earned $369 million for the quarter ended Jan. 31, up from $334 million a year ago.

Total sales were up 3.9% to $6.34 billion from $6.1 billion in the year-ago period, also better than expected. Same-store sales increased 3.7%, a significant improvement after five straight quarters of decline.

Fort Myers, Fla. – Chico’s FAS Inc. announced plans to open 40 new stores and spend $30 million rolling out new POS systems, including mobile technology, in fiscal 2015. But the retailer also said it would shutter 120 existing locations over the next two years to improve its overall store fleet productivity and slash jobs. The closings are expected to ultimately result in expense savings of approximately $55.2 million upon completion.

New York – Barnes & Noble Inc. is separating its college business from its retail and Nook digital businesses. The planned separation of Barnes & Noble Education (which comprises the Barnes & Noble College business) will, when consummated, create two independent, publicly traded companies.

The separation is intended to be a tax-free distribution to Barnes & Noble shareholders and is anticipated to be completed by the end of August 2015, subject to customary conditions.

Lawrenceville, N.J. - GS1 US has published a GS1 US National Data Quality Program framework, which outlines the key components to help companies establish and sustain effective data quality programs based on GS1 standards. The framework offers detailed information about the assessment criteria and scoring for the three pillars of data quality: data governance process, education and training protocol, and attribute audit.

The CEO of Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. credits consumers’ increasingly strong “desire to eat healthier” with his company’s big sales surge in the fourth quarter.

The Arizona-based company posted sales of $734.6 million, an increase of 21%, for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 28. Same store sales were up 8.5%.

Better than expected fourth quarter same store sales growth and big increase in gross margins have JCPenney eyeing potentially faster topline growth in 2015.

The company said its same store sales for fourth quarter ended Jan. 31 increased 4.4%, above the forecast range of 2% to 4% provided at the end of the third quarter. Total sales increased 2.9% to nearly $3.9 billion and online sales grew 12.5% to $428 million.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Pizza retailer Domino’s, which recently shortened its name from “Domino’s Pizza,” is reportedly turning to social media to promote the name change and also locate out-of-date signs. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Domino’s is encouraging consumers to upload photos of signs with the old Domino’s Pizza logo and name to Instagram using the hashtags #LogoInformants and #Sweeps.

Off-price department store operator Steinmart is looking to capitalize on favorable business trends this year with an aggressive expansion plan that will see the company add 11 new stores.

The Jacksonville, Fl.,-based operator of 270 stores had indicated last fall it would open 10 new stores this year, but after reporting better than expected sales results the growth target was increased by one location. Steinmart opened nine new stores last year as part of a renewed commitment to physical expansion.