Sales & Marketing

Rite Aid reported a 3.2% lift in sales for the 26 weeks ended Aug. 30, ringing in $12.9 billion.
 
Same-store sales for the period increased 3.6% over the prior-year period. Front-end same store sales increased 0.6%, while pharmacy same store sales increased 5.1%. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 3% over the prior-year period.
 
Prescription sales represented 68.6% of total drug store sales for the 26-week period, and third-party prescription sales represented 97.5% of pharmacy sales.
 

Nashville, Tenn. - Genesco Inc. recently extended its relationship with EarthLink, with future plans to use the network in new ways to enhance the customer shopping experience. A longtime EarthLink customer, Genesco relies on a private EarthLink MPLS network to run all in-store point-of-sale, inventory management and employee communications and training in its Johnston & Murphy, Journeys, Journeys Kidz, Underground by Journeys and Shï by Journeys stores.

Ottawa, Canada - Trying to stay competitive with Amazon.com on price may not be the best path to success for department store and discount retailers. According to pricing analysis of 1,000-plus household goods based on Amazon’s own assortment relative to Kohl’s, Walmart, Target and Macy’s conducted by 360pi and Retail Systems Research from March-June 2014, Kohl’s was consistently 30%-60% above Amazon’s pricing for this sample, but also reported the healthiest financials of the group.

Nashville, Tenn. - Asurion Retail Solutions has rolled out Solution Hub, an online platform providing consumers transparency and control of the post-purchase service experience. Solution Hub, customizable to reflect retail brands, offers consumers an end-to-end solution for filing claims, scheduling in-home repairs, and choosing the best fulfillment option for certain product categories.

Christopher & Banks president and CEO LuAnn Via said financial results for the second quarter ended Aug. 2 were solid, adding that the company made continued progress toward its long-term growth objectives.

Net sales at the specialty women’s apparel retailer totaled $106.6 million, an increase of 2.3% from $104.2 million for the year-ago period. During the quarter, the company operated an average of 9.3% fewer stores than during the comparable period last year. Same-store sales increased 2.6%.

Naples, Fla. -- ACI Worldwide, a leading global provider of electronic payment and banking solutions, announced that Auchan Group, one of the world’s largest food retailers, has selected the company to deliver its new SEPA-compliant European card payments platform, the first of its kind in Europe.

Wet Seal CEO John D. Goodman has resigned from the role he took in January 2013. He was charged with turning things around for the struggling retailer and replaced Susan McGalla, who was herself ousted after 11 months amid declining sales.

San Francisco -- Over two-thirds (68%) of women are more likely to buy from a company that uses models of varying sizes, according to a new study by online fashion retailer ModCloth. And only 13% of women agree that "real women" are accurately portrayed in the fashion industry.