Sales & Marketing

PHILADELPHIA — Urban Outfitters, which caters to a clientele with a unique and forward-looking approach to fashion and lifestyle merchandise, missed the mark during the second quarter, reporting a 21% profit decline and a same-store sales slip of 2%.

The company reported that earnings for the quarter were $56.7 million compared $71.7 million a year earlier. The company blamed increased expenses related to investments in e-commerce, retail catalogs and technology for the performance slip.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores reported Tuesday that profit for the quarter ended July 31 rose to $3.8 billion, up from $3.6 billion in the year-ago period. Overall revenue, up 5.4% to $109.37 billion, topped Wall Street’s expectations.

Yet, the world’s largest retailer is feeling the pinch from a tight economy that is slow to loosen. Wal-Mart U.S., the company's biggest unit, posted a 0.9% drop in same-store sales, the ninth consecutive quarterly drop and beneath analysts' estimates for a 0.6% fall.

ARLINGTON, Va. — More than one-quarter of U.S. retailers lack a mobile presence, according to new research conducted by 2ergo.

Based on data collected from 161 retailers across six categories, 2ergo found that only 58% of retailers have not optimized a mobile website and just half of them are offering consumers one smartphone application for either Android, Blackberry or iPhone devices. Among them, 7% of these top retailers have launched applications for all three platforms, 2ergo noted.

New York City -- Saks reported Tuesday that it has tightened its losses in the quarter ended July 30, posting a loss of $8.4 million compared with a loss of $32.2 million in the year earlier period.

The luxury retailer cited increased full-price selling for the improvement, but warned Wall Street that it was heading into the fall selling season with caution because of the uncertain economic conditions.
 

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Despite the absence of top line growth at Walmart’s U.S. stores division, second quarter earnings grew 12.4% to $1.09 and came in a penny ahead of analysts’ estimates, which was enough for the company to narrow and increase the range of its full year profit forecast.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Grocery chain Food Lion said Tuesday that two of its stores have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2011 Gold-Level GreenChill Store Certification Award, one of the agency's highest honors for refrigeration.

The stores are located in Conyers, Ga., and in Columbia, S.C.

Food Lion became a founding partner with the EPA's GreenChill program in 2007. Since that time, the grocer joined other food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease impact on the ozone layer and climate change. Food Lion has won GreenChill's Distinguished Partner Award and its Superior Environmental Achievement Award in the past.

"Our company is committed to going beyond simply reducing refrigerants," said Susan Sollenberger, director of energy, maintenance and equipment purchasing at Delhaize America South. "In addition to reducing emissions through the EPA's GreenChill partnership, we contin

New York City -- Nordstrom announced Monday that its new Treasure&Bond concept will open in SoHo on Friday, according to a report by the New York Times. The boutique-style store, which represents a new market entry for Nordstrom, will be a fraction of the size of a typical Nordstrom department store and all profits will be donated to charity. Merchandise is funkier, but is not discount like its Nordstrom Rack sister. 

NEW YORK — Gap’s Old Navy unit rolled out more than 1,000 sports-oriented store-within-stores Tuesday, selling branded goods of more than 70 Division I schools, as well as National Football League teams.

The Super Fan Nation in-store concepts are being launched with a seven-figure marketing campaign that will include advertising at college stadiums and arenas, in-store appearances by college bands, cheerleaders and mascots, and a 10-day national television advertising campaign.