Business Analytics

Pittsburgh – Net income at GNC Holdings Inc. slipped during the second quarter of fiscal 2014, falling 2% to $69.89 billion from $71.69 billion in the prior year period. For second quarter 2014, the company reported consolidated revenue of $675.2 million, a decrease of 0.2% as compared to consolidated revenue of $676.3 million for second quarter 2013.

Minneapolis – Tile Shop Holdings Inc. reported a 38% dip in net income during the second quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to the same period a year earlier. Net income fell to $3.96 billion from $6.48 billion, with Tile Shop citing adverse macroeconomic conditions, including home sales, as having a generally negative impact on the business.

Dublin, Ohio - The Wendy’s Company has extended its partnership and will continue licensing APT’s Test & Learn software for another three years. Wendy’s will use the software to test strategic initiatives in menu changes, remodels, marketing, pricing, and operations across its system of more than 6,500 company and franchise-operated restaurants.

The stakes will be high for every retailer during the upcoming holiday season, but none more so than RadioShack where a stellar fourth quarter could help the company avert a gloomy scenario outlined by Moody’s Investors Service.

The rating agency suggested in a report released July 29 that RadioShack has adequate liquidity to see it through this year, but noted that 2015 could be a different matter.

Twitter posted solid growth in user metrics for its second quarter, including strength in mobile, which allowed the social media platform to exceed sales and profit forecasts.

Twitter said it had 271 million monthly active users during the quarter ended June 30, an increase of 24% compared to the prior year. Roughly 78% of those users were on mobile devices, a 29% increase from the prior year.

New York - June 2014 showed levels of imports to the U.S. 6% higher than imports in June 2013. According to new data from Panjiva, the numbers of shipments coming into the U.S. also changed .03% from May 2014 to June 2014.

Although Panjiva analysis indicates imports are strong and the U.S. economy generally looks optimistic, a possible port workers strike brewing in California could disrupt 40% of the waterborne goods coming into the country. Situations in the Middle East and Ukraine may cause supply chain disruptions as well.

New York – Business-to-consumer e-commerce sales are expected to reach $14.7 trillion globally in 2014, up about 20% from $1.23 trillion in 2013. According to a new study from EMarketer, this figure will gradually increase to almost $2.36 trillion in 2018.

Atlanta – A variety of costs drove net earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 at Aaron’s Inc. down 67% to $8.5 million from $25.9 million in the same period a year earlier. Expenses related to Aaron’s April 2014 purchase of lease-to-own company Progressive Finance Holdings, as well as advisory and strategic costs and costs related to store closures, impacted net earnings.

Seattle -- Starbucks that its consolidated net revenue growth accelerated 11% in the third quarter, to $4.2 billion. Consolidated operating income increased 25%, to $769 million.

The coffee giant raised the number of net new stores it expects to open in its Americas region from 600 to 650.

Global same-store sales increased 6%, marking the 18th consecutive quarter of global comp growth of 5% or greater. Same-store sales in the United States rose 7%.  

Eden Prairie, Minn. – The loss of a large tax benefit caused Supervalu’s net income to plummet 49% in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 to $43 million from $85 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue slipped to $5.23 billion from $5.24 billion.