Supply Chain & Merchandising

Known for its “World Famous Almond Toffee,” Enstrom Candies is featuring three new flavors in a new impulse product line, featuring bite-size toffee for wholesale distribution.

New York -- Contingent Network Services has announced the successful completion of a strategic IT project to deploy new in-store technology to stores operated by The Finish Line. The retailer has reinvented its in-store shopping experience at all locations with a total store overhaul and technology refresh that included implementation of innovative mobile POS and interactive kiosk technologies. Contingent provided Finish Line with incremental project and technology experts to manage the in-store deployment for 320 of the 664 sites completed within the overall project.

New York -- The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index (Index) dipped slightly in April, primarily due to an increase in the tax rate, while other economic fundamentals remain steady. The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Body Central Corp., a multichannel, specialty retailer that offers on-trend apparel and accessories at value prices, has appointed Donna R. Ecton as non-executive chairman of the board. Ecton has been a director of Body Central Corp. since May 2011.

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. announced an agreement to acquire a portfolio of prime power centers from its existing joint venture with Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII.  The acquisition is slated to close in fourth quarter 2013.
 
The joint venture between Blackstone and DDR currently owns 44 shopping centers, and DDR will acquire Blackstone's 95% common equity ownership interest in 30 of the shopping centers for $1.46 billion.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl's Corp. reported a 5% drop in first-quarter profit on weak sales fell due to unseasonably cold weather in large parts of the United States.

Kohl's net income fell to $147 million in the quarter ended May 4, down from $154 million a year earlier.

Sales fell 1% to $4.2 billion. Comparable-store sales fell 1.9%.

Cincinnati -- Macy’s reported increases in sales and income for the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period a year earlier, despite cool weather that delayed spring shopping in key markets. Net income was $217 million, a 20% hike from $181 million in the year-ago period.  

While net income slightly beat analyst predictions, same-store sales rose 3.8%, short of the 4.3% expected by analysts. Net sales totaled $6.39 billion, up 4% from $6.14 billion in the year-ago period.

Walpole, Mass. -- Walmart announced the completion of eight new solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays in Massachusetts, celebrating with an event at its Walpole store.