Business Analytics

Costco reported a rise in sales and same-store sales for the fourth quarter.

Net sales for the quarter were $34.75 billion, an increase of 9% from $31.77 billion in fiscal 2013. Same-store sales for the total company increased 6%, while U.S. same-store sales also rose 6%.

Net income for the quarter was $697 million, or $1.58 per diluted share, compared with $617 million, or $1.40 per diluted share, in the year-ago period.

Springfield, N.J. – Store closing and pre-opening costs, as well as an unfavorable state tax ruling, reduced net income at Village Super Market Inc. 5% to $5.87 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, from $6.2 million in the same quarter the prior year. Two new store openings helped boost net sales 5.5% to $383.8 million, from $376.3 million.

Same-store sales rose 9%. For fiscal 2015, Village Super Market expects same-store sales to range from flat to slightly positive.

The Woodlands, Texas – Conn’s Inc. is considering a sale of the company, as well as splitting up its retail and credit businesses, following a cut in its profit forecasts in its second quarter results. Other options could include reducing the pace of new store openings and returning capital to investors.

New York – Coach Inc. has leveraged the MicroStrategy Analytics Platform and MicroStrategy Mobile to produce automated reporting that provides anytime, anywhere visibility down to the store level. Coach has built an interactive mobile application using MicroStrategy Mobile that provides its retail teams with the ability to examine sales trends for any given geography, including at the individual store level, with a swipe or tap on their iPad devices.

Conn’s has begun exploring a range of strategic alternatives, including a potential sale, while maintaining the company’s long term strategy is viable.

Winston-Salem, N.C. -- Krispy Kreme Doughnuts announced CFO Douglas R. Muir intends to retire in calendar year 2015. The chain will conduct a comprehensive search to identify his successor. Muir is expected to remain in his current role until his successor is in place and to provide ongoing support during the transition.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens’ same-store stores increased 7.9% in September. Total sales increased 9.4%, to $6.5 billion compared to the same month in fiscal 2014, the company reported Friday.

Comparable store front-end sales rose 1.7%, while comparable store pharmacy sales rose 11.3%.

Walgreens opened nine stores during September, including four relocations, and closed four.

San Bernardino, Calif. -- Stater Bros. Markets received the “Best Emissions Rate” Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) GreenChill Partnership for having the lowest corporate-wide refrigerant emissions rate of all the GreenChill partners in 2013. There are approximately 8,000 GreenChill partner stores throughout the nation.
 

Camp Hill, Pa. - For the four weeks ended Sept. 27, 2014, same store sales increased 5.1% from the prior-year period at Rite Aid Corp. September front-end same store sales increased 2.3%, while pharmacy same-store sales increased 6.3% and same-store prescription count grew 4.4%.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period increased 4.5% to $2.02 billion, compared to $1.935 billion.

Rite Aid reported $2 billion in sales for the four weeks ended Sept. 27, representing a 4.5% increase over the comparable year-ago period.
 
Same-store sales increased 5.1% over the prior-year period, including a 2.3% lift in front-end same-store sales and growth of 6.3% in pharmacy comparable sales. Pharmacy same-store sales included an approximate 225 basis points negative impact from new generic introductions. Prescription count at comparable stores increased 4.4% over the prior-year period.