Business Analytics

Indianapolis -- The Finish Line said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit rose 12% with strong same-store sales.

The company reported net income of $34.3 million in the quarter that ended Feb. 26, compared with $30.6 million a year earlier.

The Finish Line said that excluding a charge for writing down the value of stores.

Revenue rose 2.7% to $384.6 million. Same-store sales rose 4%.

The company said operating margins were 9% close to its goal of double-digit margins for the full year.

New York City -- Tesco has installed wind turbines, each with a capacity of nearly 1 MW, at three of its grocery distribution centers.

The company installed two of the 90-meter, 800kW wind turbines at its distribution center near Newport in Wales, BusinessGreen reported. The other turbines are at two sites in England’s Midlands region.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- In yet another example of how discount stores are dominating the retail industry these days, Fred's Inc. reported strong earnings and sales growth for its fiscal fourth quarter. The company reported fourth-quarter net income of $8.6 million, or 22 cents per diluted share, a 49% increase over last year's reported net income of $5.8 million or 15 cents per diluted share. For the year ended Jan.

Memphis, Tenn. -- Fred's reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Jan. 29 rose 48% to $8.6 million, compared with $5.8 million in the year-ago period.

The discount retailer cited a better merchandise selection and store upgrades for the improved performance, which topped Wall Street expectations.

Revenue rose 3% to $485.6 million from $473.1 million, missing analysts’ forecast of $487.3 million in revenue. Same-store sales rose 2.3%.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal reported Thursday that net income for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 29 dropped to $5.3 million, compared with $74.2 million in the year-ago period. Last year’s quarter included a non-cash tax benefit of $64.7 million.

Sales rose to $165.5 million from $151 million a year earlier. Same-store sales increased 2.3%. Same-store sales for Wet Seal increased 1.9% and for Arden B increased 4.8%.

By Giles Sutton, J.D., LL.M, [email protected]

Gift-card sales have surged in recent years. With electronic or virtual gift cards and mobile applications that allow consumers to purchase and redeem gift cards from their mobile/smartphones, sales only continue to grow. While consumers flock to them for their flexibility, businesses have embraced them as a means to increase sales. Not only are buyers spurred into making new purchases, but they often spend more than the gift-card amount.

Redmond, Wash. -- Stein Mart announced the selection of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 as the centerpiece of its new Mission Critical platform and subsequent business intelligence solution. As a result, company executives can use responsive forecasting tools, which have enabled them to quickly identify business trends within the company's 265 stores and to position the company for expansion.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Feb. 26 fell 16% to $651 million, compared with $779 million in the year-ago period. However, adjusted results beat Wall Street expectations.

The retailer cited restructuring costs and weak TV and other electronics sales for the performance decline.

Chicago -- Accertify, a provider of software, tools and strategies for preventing fraud and a subsidiary of American Express, announced that Abercrombie & Fitch has implemented its Interceptas fraud prevention platform to enhance the retailer's ability to protect against credit card fraud in its direct-to-consumer business.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. reported Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended Feb. 28 rose to $739 million, compared with $669 million in the year-ago period. However, gross profit margin remained flat at 28.8%, disappointing Wall Street, which expected more from the drugstore operator.

Revenue climbed 9% to $18.5 billion. Same-store sales and prescription sales each rose 4%.