Business Analytics

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $7.87 billion for the month of July, the four weeks ended August 4, an increase of 7% from $7.36 billion during the similar period last year.

For the 48 weeks ended August 4, the company reported net sales of $94.91 billion, an increase of 8% from $87.7 billion during the similar period last year.

In one of the stranger situations in retail right now, J.C. Penney is defending itself against charges by activist investor Bill Ackman that it’s not moving fast enough to hire a full time CEO and remedy a situation that Ackman created when the guy he picked nearly destroyed the company.

San Diego – PriceSmart reported substantial increases in both net warehouse club sales and same-store warehouse club sales during July of this year as compared to July of last year. For the month of July 2013, net warehouse club sales increased 11.9% to $188.5 million, from $168.5 million in July a year earlier. There were 31 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of July 2013 and 29 warehouse clubs in operation at the end of July 2012.

Affluent shoppers feeling better about their personal balance sheets helped global luxury brand Tumi grow total sales by 12.9%, same store sales by 4.6% and double profits in the second quarter ended June 24.

Best known for its expensive luggage, Tumi said sales total $108.2 million during the period and profits increased to $11.2 million, or 16 cents a share, compared to profits of $6.5 million, or 10 cents a share in the same period the prior year.

Cary, N.C. -- C-store operator The Pantry reported that net income for the quarter ended June 27 dropped to $5.9 million from $14.8 million in the year-ago period.

Same-store merchandise revenue edged up 1.3%.


 

Pittsburgh – American Eagle Outfitters is lowering its earnings outlook for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 due to what the retailer characterizes as weak sales and margins. The company now forecasts earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter of about $0.10, down significantly from $0.21 in the second quarter of last year.

Naperville, Ill. – OfficeMax had a generally difficult second quarter of 2013, with declining total and same-store sales and a net loss. The retailer is also predicting more disappointing results for the upcoming two fiscal quarters.

Global luxury lifestyle brand Michael Kors Holdings Limited had an exceptional fiscal 2014 first quarter ended June 29 with a total revenue of $641 million, a 54.5% increase from $414.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2013.

Retail net sales increased 51.5% to $325.7 million driven by a 27.3% increase in comparable store sales and 75 net new store openings since the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2013. Wholesale net sales increased 59.3% to $290.6 million and licensing revenue increased 40.7% to $24.6 million.

Indianapolis – Almost eight-in-10 (78%) marketers report feeling pressure to become more data-driven, but only a little more than a third of companies (36%) say they routinely use data-driven marketing to customize messages and offers, in order to improve customer experience and campaign performance. Teradata’s Data-Driven Marketing Survey 2013 also indicates within two years more than 80% of marketers will have implemented or begun projects that automate data quality, performance management and marketing workflow processes.

Deerfield, Ill. - Walgreens same-store sales increased by 6.3% in July, the retailer reported this morning. Calendar day shifts positively impacted total same-store sales by 1.4 percentage points, while generic drug introductions in the last 12 months negatively impacted total same-store sales by 1.8 percentage points.

Total front-end sales increased 3.6% compared with the same month in fiscal 2012, while same-store front-end sales increased 2.3%. Customer traffic in stores open at least one year decreased 1.2% while basket size increased 3.5%.