Business Analytics

Watsonville, Calif. – West Marine Inc. slightly shrunk its net loss to $10.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 from $11.4 million in the same period a year earlier. Cost of goods sold and selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses combined to total more than net revenues.

Camp Hill, Pa. – Same-store sales increased 3% in April 2015, compared to the same month a year earlier. April front-end same-store sales, which were negatively impacted by 0.9% due to a shift in the timing of Easter, decreased 0.5%.

Pharmacy same-store sales, which included an approximate 1.45% negative impact from new generic introductions, increased 4.6%. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 1.8% from the prior-year period.

The cold hard winter may have been taxing for some but it was certainly profitable for Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp., which reported an increase in profit in the first quarter.

El Segundo, Calif. – Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. kicked off fiscal 2015 with a strong performance in the first quarter. Net income grew 6% year-over-year to $2.3 million from $2.1 million, and would have grown more if not for increased expenses relating to wages and benefits, new stores, and a legal settlement.

Big 5 plans to open approximately 10 net new stores in fiscal 2015, including three in the second quarter.

Net sales climbed 5% to $243.6 million from $231.3 million, aided by a 3.9% increase in same-store sales.

Smart & Final Stores Inc. credited strong merchandising and marketing initiatives with the retailer's impressive jump in same store sales for the first quarter.

Lumber Liquidators reported a first-quarter loss of $7.8 million and announced that its CFO is resigning as allegations over the quality of its flooring continues to affect the company.

In the quarter, the company swung to a loss of $7.8 million, or 29 cents per share, compared to net income of $13.7 million, or 49 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue of $260 million in the period met analysts’ forecasts. 

Minneapolis – Net earnings at Supervalu Inc. fell 14% to $36 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 from $42 million in the identical period a year earlier. Higher selling and administrative expenses, including store closure and benefit costs, helped reduce profits.

Plano, Texas – Rent-A-Center Inc. reported stable profit during the first quarter of fiscal 2015. The retailer’s net income totaled $27.3 million, up 1% from $27.26 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Consolidated total revenues climbed 6% to $877.64 million, from $828.47 million. Same-store sales rose 8%.

Purchase, N.Y. - MasterCard will acquire cloud-based analytics provider Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) for $600 million.

APT’s Test & Learn platform enables users to apply analytics to design, measure and calibrate marketing, merchandising, operations and capital initiatives.

Melbourne, Australia – Vertical Australian luggage retailer Crumpler has selected Raymark's cloud-based store management software suite for deployment in its stores worldwide. The software initiative is aimed at supporting Crumpler's international growth, improving the omnichannel customer experience and modernizing IT operations.