Sales & Marketing

Expense from a pension settlement and higher selling, general and administrative costs drove Havertys into the red for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014.

American Apparel is bolstering its omnichannel effort with two new hires in marketing and digital engagement.

The company announced two leadership appointments: Thoryn Stephens has been named chief digital officer, a newly created position, and Cynthia Erland has been named SVP of marketing.

New York -- Atlanta-based The Home Depot reported a strong fourth quarter performance, with sales up 8.3% to $19.2 billion, and fourth quarter net earnings up 36.1% to $1.38 billion.

Comp-store sales for the quarter were positive 7.9%, and positive 8.9% for U.S. stores. Home Depot CEO Craig Menear pointed to a number of factors responsible for the growth.

“We had a strong finish to the year, as strength across the store, the recovering U.S. housing market and solid execution aided our business in 2014,” he said.

Atlanta – Expense from a pension settlement and higher selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs drove Havertys into the red for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. The retailer reported a net loss of $10.19 million, compared to net income of $9.68 million the same period a year earlier.

Home Depot posted a better-than-expected fourth quarter performance, but warned that a strong dollar could hurt its results for the year.

The retailer posted an 8.3% increase in sales to $19.2 billion, and fourth quarter net earnings were up 36.1% to $1.38 billion. Same store sales for the quarter were positive 7.9%, and positive 8.9% for U.S. stores.

North Bergen, N.J. – Vitamin Shoppe Inc. expects to open about 60 new stores during fiscal 2015. This plan follows a successful fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, with a net income increase of 3% to $11.6 million from $11.2 million the same period the prior year.

A lower selling, general and administrative (SG&A) rate helped boost net income. Total net sales increased 13% to $290.1 million compared to $256.4 million. Same-store sales grew 1.7% and e-commerce same-store sales rose 5.6%.

Petco is leveraging the popularity of raw pet food by launching a series of educational events at some of its stores.

Starting on March 2, on the first Monday of each month, Unleashed by Petco stores will sample a variety of frozen, dehydrated and freeze-dried raw food and treats and educate customers on the health benefits of raw food as part of the Monday Night Raw Next-Level Nutrition event series.

New York - Luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman has partnered with Borderfree, a provider of international cross-border e-commerce solutions, to open its website and sell to international shoppers with BFX, Borderfree’s new global e-commerce platform for retailers.