Business Analytics

UL has more than doubled its product testing capability by relocating to a new 48,000-sq.-ft. facility in Enfield, CT.

The company, whose ubiquitous UL trademark appears on all manner of products, said the relocation will enable it to more efficiently meet the growing demand for the company’s analytical, physical, performance and compliance testing of consumer products for retailers and manufacturers doing business in the U.S. 　

SUFFERN, N.Y. — Ascena Retail Group reported a lower than expected 2% decline in same store sales at physical stores for the November and December holiday period, but managed a 30% increase in online sales.

Combined comparable store and e-commerce sales for the holiday period ended December 29, 2012 increased 1%, prompting Ascena to lower earnings per share guidance for its current fiscal year ending July 27.

Washington, D.C. -- The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index fell to minus 34.4 in the seven days ended Jan. 6 from minus 31.8 the prior period, the biggest one-week drop since August. Jobless claims increased by 4,000 to 371,000 in the week ended Jan. 5, according to Labor Department figures.

Los Angeles -- CBRE Group reported Thursday that, despite sluggish economic growth, the U.S. commercial real estate market remained on a recovery path in fourth quarter 2012.

The retail availability rate declined slightly to 12.8%, down 10 bps compared with the previous quarter.

“The broken record of slow but positive progress toward a real estate recovery continues to repeat,” said Jon Southard, managing director of CBRE’s Econometric Advisors Group.

Abilene, Kansas -- ALCO Stores and Revionics Inc. announced a multi-year partnership, which will support optimal pricing decisions throughout ALCO’s 217 stores.

Revionics Life Cycle Price Optimization solutions and Analytic Solutions will enable ALCO to design and execute regional, localized pricing initiatives, timing of markdowns, promotional pricing and analysis of customer market baskets and key volume items.

GRAPEVINE, Texas — Lower in-store traffic at GameStop during the holiday resulted in a decline in same-store sales during the first nine weeks of the company’s fourth quarter.

Total global sales for the nine-week period ended December 29 decreased 4.6%, compared to com 2011 holiday sales period. Comparable store sales decreased 4.4%, with U.S. comps of -3.5% and international comps of -6.4%.

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- American Apparel, which launched a new Oracle e-commerce platform in the fall, has continued to deliver an increase in e-commerce sales, with a more than 38% increase over the same period last year. December 2012 sales increased more than 59% over December 2011, with December coming in as the highest sales month in the history of the company’s online business.

Philadelphia -- Destination Maternity Corp. reported Tuesday that revenue for the first quarter edged down to $135.3 million, from $136.4 million in the year-ago period. The results fell within internal expectations of $132.5 million to $136.5 million.

Same-store sales rose 1.9%.

The maternity apparel retailer said the decline in total revenue was due in large part to sales declines related to closing underperforming stores.

New York -- In a surprise move, Sears Holdings Corp. announced that CEO Louis J. D'Ambrosio will step down as CEO, effective Feb. 2, for family health reasons. D'Ambrosio will be replaced by the company's chairman and its largest shareholder, Edward Lampert.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens reported Friday that sales for the month of December dipped 4% to $6.71 billion, from $6.99 billion in the year-ago period.
 
Total front-end sales fell 1.3% and same-store front-end sales decreased 2.3%.
 
Total same-store sales fell 6.1% in December.