Business Analytics

STOCKHOLM — With the U.S. housing market continuing to improve, it's no surprise that Electrolux CEO Keith McLoughlin expects the company's North American division to maintain the strong sales and earnings growth achieved in the second quarter throughout the rest of the year.

Because of the rising appliance consumption in North America, the company anticipates that demand for appliances in the U.S. will increase by 5-7% in 2013.

Cleveland – The Sherwin-Williams Company reported increases in net sales, diluted income per share and same-store sales during second quarter fiscal 2013. Consolidated net sales increased 5.5% to a record $2.71 billion in the quarter, up from roughly $2.6 billion the previous year. The company credited acquisitions, with some offsetting negative impact from unfavorable currency translation rates, for the net sales boost.

Minneapolis – Supervalu Inc. reported a higher net loss and lower net income during the first quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to the first quarter of the prior fiscal year. Net loss totaled $105 million, up from $18 million year earlier, although one-time after-tax charges of $139 million pushed Supervalu into the red. Net sales were $5.16 billion, a 1.5% drop from $5.24 billion a year earlier.

Pleasanton, Calif. – Safeway reported a substantial decline in net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 as well as a drop in sales. Adjusted net income for the quarter was $8.4 million, compared to $122.7 million in the same quarter a year earlier. However, after adjusting for various legal expenses and loss from discontinued operations, net income for the quarter would have been $125.1 million.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — CafePress, a proprietary print-on-demand services and e-commerce platform provider, has appointed Garett Jackson to the newly created role of CIO. Jackson is based in Louisville and will report to CEO Bob Marino.

Another sign of further improvement in the nation’s housing market were results from leading paints manufacturer and retailer Sherwin-Williams, whose net sales for the quarter ended June 30 were $2.71 billion, up 5.5% from the same quarter last year. 

Net sales in the Paint Stores Group increased 8% to $1.61 billion. The company's total net income for the quarter was $257.3 million, up 12.9% from the second quarter of 2013.

Safeway digested an unprecedented amount of change during the second quarter and still managed to achieve solid profit improvement and a respectable amount of sales growth while strengthening its balance sheet.

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — 99 Cents Only Stores announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2013 ended March 30, 2013.

The company's net sales increased 9.7% to $434.8 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 compared to $396.4 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. Same-store sales, calculated on a comparable 13-week period, increased 4.4%.  

Revenues at eBay increased 14% to $3.9 billion during the second quarter ended June 30 and profits adjusted to exclude the impact of a divested business increased to $822 million, or 63 cents a share, compared to $730 million, or 56 cents a share.

ATLANTA — Coca-Cola says slow economies in Europe, Asia and Latin America and cold weather conditions across multiple regions affected consumer spending as well as its overall nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverage performance.