Business Analytics

Columbus, Ohio – Expenses related to exiting its Canadian operations substantially reduced net earnings for Big Lots Inc. in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. Compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2013, net income fell 90% to $3.35 million from $32.33 million.

Net sales rose 1% to $1.28 billion, from $1.27 billion. Same-store sales rose 0.9%. Big Lots forecasts same-store sales growth of 1%-3% in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, and 1%-2% in the full fiscal year.

Nashville, Tenn. – Genesco Inc. reported net earnings of $13.97 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, down 3% from $14.41 million in the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. A jump in selling and administrative expenses drove the net earnings decline.

Meanwhile, net sales rose 6% to $629 million, from $591 million. Same-store sales grew 1%. Genesco expects a low-single-digit same-store sales increase for the full fiscal year.

First-quarter sales at Guess fell in North America and Europe. Despite a net loss of $2.1 million, compared with net earnings of $9.9 million in the year-ago period, the company touted strong momentum in its e-commerce business, adding that it remains a key initiative as consumer demand continues shifting to that channel.

Exiting Canada may have taken a bite out of Big Lots’ profits in the first quarter, but the company still saw net and comparable-store sales increase.

Net sales for the quarter increased 1.1% to $1.28 billion, compared to net sales from continuing U.S. operations of $1.26 billion for the same period last year. Comparable-store sales for stores open at least 15 months increased 0.9% for the quarter.

Genesco’s first-quarter results may have been tepid, but the company highlighted its second quarter, which is off to a solid start with a comparable sales increase of 3% through May 24, and expressed confidence that it can build on the current momentum.

The company reported net earnings of $13.97 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, down 3% from $14.41 million in the same quarter last year. An increase in selling and administrative expenses drove the net earnings decline.

Washington, D.C. -- Online shopping is showing rapid growth compared to the rest of the retail trade sector, with the number of establishments growing 27.4% between 2011 and 2012, according to new U.S. Census Bureau statistics released today. Drawn from County Business Patterns: 2012, the new data provides the only detailed annual information on the number of establishments, employees and payroll for nearly 1,200 industries at the national, state and county levels.

Los Angeles – Guess on Thursday reported a first-quarter net loss of $2.1 million, compared with net earnings of $9.9 million in the year-ago period, as sales fell in North America and Europe.

"First quarter earnings results were slightly better than our expectations,” said Paul Marciano, CEO. “We delivered revenues within the range of our guidance and managed our expenses tightly.”

Sales fell 4.8% at $522.5 million, compared with $548.9 million in the prior year.

New York -- Teen retailer Delia’s announced that its CFO, David Dick, has resigned. He will remain with the company through Aug. 1.

Solid sales growth at Costco during the second quarter and a 6% same store sales increase at U.S. clubs did not translate into strong profits for the warehouse club operator whose earnings fell shy of analysts’ estimates.

Profitect, a leading pattern seeking analytics provider for the retail industry, has added Ahold USA as its latest customer. Profitect is rolled out in Ahold's Giant Landover division.

Ahold USA will leverage Profitect's integrated data to improve its shrink performance by replacing legacy reporting approaches, which require large volumes of information to be interpreted, with automated resolution processes. The Profitect closed loop system creates accountability, the company said, by ensuring employees identify and resolve opportunities impacting the business.