Supply Chain & Merchandising

Toronto -- Sears Canada said Thursday it will unveil a new, refreshed store concept in four Ontario locations, designed to illustrate the retailer’s renewed commitment to customer service and store experience.

The four stores – in Barrie, Belleville, Newmarket and at the Lime Ridge mall in Hamilton – will open on May 25, and will the first step to the company’s plans to transform the Sears shopping experience in Canada, said Sears.

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma Inc. reported Thursday that first-quarter profit dipped to $30.7 million, from $31.6 million last year, but results topped Wall Street estimates and the retailer has raised its full-year earnings forecast.

Sales increased 6% to $817.6 million, also surpassing analysts’ estimates of $811.7 million. Same-store sales grew 5.4% overall, driven by strength from Pottery Barn (up 9.1%) and West Elm (up 22.1%).

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Yogurt purveyor Red Mango said it will open its first Florida mall location at The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale.

The new location will be near Dillard’s on the upper Palm Court level. The Broward County mall is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Macy’s and Dillard’s.

I’m just back from the retail real estate industry’s annual confab, the International Council of Shopping Centers’ RECon, in Las Vegas. As part of the event, Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, Prudential Douglas Elliman, hosted a panel discussion of retailers at the Women’s Special Industry Group meeting. Here are some of the more notable quotes from the discussion:

Brenda Godfrey, VP global store development, Starbucks Coffee Co.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco reported net sales of $21.85 billion for the third quarter, an 8% increase over sales of $20.19 billion for the same period last year. Comparable-club sales for the quarter increased 5%, which consisted of a 5% increase in the United States and a 5% increase internationally. Excluding the impact of fuel, total comps were still up 5%, however U.S. comps were 4% and international comps were 8% when adjusted for gasoline inflation.

Merrimack, N.H. -- Brookstone said it has hired Stephen Bebis as its new president and CEO, effective immediately.

Bebis is the founder of Golf Town and served as its president and CEO for 14 years. He has also worked at Home Depot, serving as VP general merchandise manager for its mid-southern division.

New York -- Tiffany & Co. reported Thursday that profit for the first quarter was essentially flat at $81.5 million, compared with $81.1 million in the year-ago quarter, prompting the jeweler to reduce its forecast for both sales and profit for the year.

Worldwide revenue increased almost 8% to $819.2 million in the quarter, topping Wall Street’s estimates of $817.1 million in revenue. Same-store sales rose 4%.

Tiffany said it now projects that sales globally will be up 7% to 8%, instead of the originally forecasted 10% rise.

Tucson, Ariz. -- Commercial Retail Advisors said that Tuesday Morning will be relocating a store to the neighborhood center Ventana Village.

The new, 10,000-sq.-ft. Tuesday Morning store is slated to open on Aug. 1.

Ventana Village is anchored by Bashas' Marketplace.