Sales & Marketing

Issaquah, Wash. -- Costco Wholesale Corp posted a better-than expected 39% increase in quarterly profit, helped by increasing sales and a rise in membership fees.

Net income was $547 million in the fiscal second quarter ended on Feb. 17, compared with $394 million a year ago.

A blood drive and fundraising effort are underway in Southern California to support two employees injured in an explosion at a Sport Chalet store.

The two employees, Victor Gonzales, 25, and Lauren Polzin, 27, were injured earlier this month while attempting to shut off a gas valve after a customer in the retailer’s store in La Canada, Ca., reported smelling gas. Sport Chalet operates 54 stores in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

Chicago -- Despite all the headlines about Canadian and global growth, U.S. expansion remains a key growth strategy for retailers, according to a survey of 100 retail chief financial officers by BDO USA.  
   
In the seventh-annual BDO Retail Compass Survey of CFOs, 30% of the executives said U.S. expansion will be their priority growth tactic in 2013, followed by improving merchandise assortment (24%) and e-commerce and mobile commerce (22%).
   

Former Coach CFO Michael Devine has joined the board of rapidly growing discount retailer Five Below.

Devine served as CFO at Coach from 2001 to 2011. He will replace Five Below board member Howard Ross who resigned and serve as chair of the retailer’s audit committee.

Devine currently serves on the boards of Express, Deckers, Talbot's, and Sur La Table, and previously served on the board of NutriSystems.

YORK, Pa. — The Bon-Ton Stores reported that its net income for the fourth quarter was a better-than-expected $74.4 million, compared with $78.2 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue for the three months ended Feb. 2 increased 3.2% to $1.02 billion, missing the Street’s view of $1.04 billion. Same-store sales increased 1%. (Results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2012 are impacted by the inclusion of an additional week in each period, resulting in a 14-week and 53-week reporting period.)

PHILADELPHIA — Net income rose to $83 million at Urban Outfitters for its fourth quarter from $39.26 million in the year-ago period, on strong same-store sales and higher revenue.

Total company net sales for the quarter increased 17% to $857 million. Comparable retail segment net sales, which include comparable direct-to-consumer channel, increased 11% for the quarter, while comparable-store net sales were flat.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Fresh Market, a high growth specialty retailer of high quality food products, has announced the resignation of Randy Kelley as SVP real estate and development who will leave the company to pursue a new business opportunity. Kelley will remain with the company through early spring.

Costco Wholesale Corp.’s winning streak continues as the chain reported a better-than-expected 39% increase in profits for its fiscal second quarter. Here is Planet Retail’s take on the company’s most recent performance and future prospects: