Sales & Marketing

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Inc. beat Wall Street estimates as its fiscal fourth-quarter net income rose 3.2% to $283.6 million. Weakness in Europe and Australia was offset by the company’s strongest North American retail sales growth in more than a year.

Total company sales rose 0.7% to $6.46 billion, while analysts expected about $6.45 billion. Sales at Staples’ North American delivery segment and domestic retail segment, which together account for about 80% of the company's revenue, rose 2% to $5.16 billion.

New York City -- Macy’s has unveiled the launch of its new Facebook page. Shifting to Facebook’s new timeline format, Macy’s will now share the history of its brand, as well as the company’s current news and initiatives.

Topeka, Kan. -- Footwear seller Collective Brands Inc. said that its fourth-quarter loss widened dramatically from the year before as higher costs cut into profit margins. But the loss was far narrower than Wall Street expected, while revenue was much higher.

The company, which operates the Payless ShoeSource chain, said its net loss during the quarter ended Jan. 28 was $41.6 million, up from a loss of $10.1 million in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $815.9 million from $773.8 million. Same-store sales increased 1.7%, also better than expected.

Woodbridge, N.J. -- SRS Real Estate Partners said that Burlington Coat Factory has leased 78,303 sq. ft. at Woodbridge Crossing Shopping Center in Woodbridge, N.J.

Burlington Coat Factory, scheduled to open later this year, will be occupying the former The Great Indoors, which closed several years ago.

Youngstown, Ohio -- Cafaro Co. announced that it will make Me-Ality (Measured Reality) available at its South Hill Mall, in Puyallup, Wash., and Eastwood Mall, in Niles, Ohio.

Me-Ality is a free service that uses cutting-edge technology to precisely determine a customer’s exact body measurement and provide a list of recommendations of where to find the best-fitting apparel to flatter that body.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.  — Lack of snowfall throughout most of the major winter sports regions negatively impacted Big 5 Sporting Goods' results in the fourth quarter. 

The company reported a net loss for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 of $9,000, or 0 cents per diluted share, including the non-cash impairment charge of 5 cents per diluted share. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, net income was $4 million, or 18 cents per diluted share, including a net charge of 7 cents per diluted share related to legal matters.

Petaluma, Calif. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said it will begin construction of East Washington Place, a 378,000-sq.-ft. community center anchored by Target.

Located in Petaluma, Calif., the new development is strategically located at the intersection of two main arterial roads, East Washington Street and Highway 101, with daily traffic counts in excess of 92,000. Regency Centers will invest approximately $61 million into the project, which will create approximately 380 construction jobs and 720 permanent jobs.

New York City -- Liz Claiborne Inc. swung to a fourth-quarter profit, buoyed by gains from sales of certain brands and trademarks, including the sale of its namesake brand to J.C. Penney. But the company's total revenue came in well below expectations, hurt by the faltering performance of its Juicy Couture division.