Sales & Marketing

The 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards program recognized retailers from across the nation. Several of the regional retail winners are reviewed below.

Mindy Grossman/CEO/HSN

New York City -- Ann Inc., formerly known as Ann Taylor, reported a 33.4% rise in quarterly net income to $32.3 million, beating analysts’ estimates.

The company’s performance was boosted by strong demand for its Loft brand, where same-store sales rose 7.9%. Same-store sales rose 2.5% at Ann Taylor. Comp-sales were up 45.8% in the Ann Taylor e-commerce channel and 1.8% in the Ann Taylor Factory channel. Total same-store sales were up 5.5%.

Chicago -- AT&T announced the opening of the AT&T Retail Innovation Center in Arlington Heights, Ill.

The 10,400 sq.-ft. space — more than twice the size of a conventional AT&T store layout — is designed to showcase the company’s most innovative products and serve to gather customers’ feedback on new retail concepts — all designed to help shape the ultimate customer experience across AT&T’s more than 2,300 stores nationwide.

Nashville, Tenn. -- Kirkland’s net profit in its fiscal third quarter as operating expenses and cost of sales rose, and same-store sales declined. But its results still beat Wall Street's expectations. The company earned $1.2 million, compared with $2.3 million a year earlier.

Operating expenses rose 8% to $31.3 million, while the company's cost of sales rose 7% to $60.9 million.

Sales rose 5% to $97.1 million, from $92.7 million. Same-store sales were down 3.6%.
 

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway Inc. announced that its stores raised $1 million for the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that exists to honor and empower military men and women who incurred service-related injuries on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

The money was raised during Veteran's Day weekend by all Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick's, Randalls, Genuardi's, Tom Thumb and Carrs stores in the United States

Washington, D.C. -- The NRF Foundation, the research and education arm of the National Retail Federation, has announced the top 10 retailers for excellent customer service selected by shoppers in the seventh annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers’ Choice survey.

The survey, which asked 9,374 shoppers which retailer provides the best customer service, was conducted by BIGresearch.

According to shoppers, the ten finalists for customer service, in alphabetical order, are:

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line announced that Chris Ladd will join the company Nov. 21 as executive VP, chief digital officer. Ladd’s responsibilities will include providing vision, leadership and strategy to develop and implement initiatives across the enterprise including digital and mobile commerce, social media and other key components of the multichannel experience.

He comes to Finish Line from Lululemon, a 150-store specialty retailer of yoga-inspired athletic apparel, where he served as senior VP, Global Ecommerce.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy today announced enhanced shopping and prescription refill functionality for its mobile site, located at m.CVS.com, as well as iPhone and Android apps, enabling shoppers to use mobile devices to manage their ExtraCare Rewards accounts, scan and send prescription refills, and order photo prints from CVS Photo Centers.

Customers accessing CVS/pharmacy's mobile website can now take advantage of several features of the ExtraCare Rewards Program. This new functionality lets shoppers: