Business Analytics

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. reported Thursday that it narrowed its loss in the fourth quarter to $163.8 million, from a loss of $205.7 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 10.7% to $7.15 billion from $6.46 billion, beating Wall Street’s expected $7.12 billion in revenue. Same-store sale increased 3%.

For the full year, Rite Aid reported a loss of $368.6 million and revenues of $26.1 billion.

Tokyo -- Japan’s Fast Retailing Co., parent of Uniqlo, reported Thursday that its net profit for the Sept.-Feb. period surged 38.7% to $705 million as an usually cold weather bolstered sales at Japan stores. Same-store sales in the period rose 2.3%.

The company lifted its full-year profit forecast to $1.7 billion from a previously announced $1.6 billion for the fiscal year ending in August, surpassing analysts’ projections.

DALLAS — Tuesday Morning reported net sales for the third quarter ended March 31 were $172.7 million compared with $174.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, a decrease of 0.9%. Comparable-store sales for the quarter ended March 31 decreased by 3.2% comprised of a 1.8% decrease in traffic and a 1.4% decrease in ticket.

PARAMUS, N.J. — Ikea has officially plugged in the solar energy system installed at its location in Paramus, N.J.

Ikea contracted with REC Solar for the development, design and installation of the customized solar power system. The 132,000-sq.-ft. PV array consists of a 1,063-kW system, built with 4,620 panels. It will produce approximately 1,359,100 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 1,033 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions of 184 cars or powering 117 homes yearly.

Paramus, N.J. -- Ikea said Tuesday it has officially plugged in the solar energy system installed at its location in Paramus, N.J.

Ikea contracted with REC Solar for the development, design and installation of the customized solar power system. The 132,000-sq.-ft. PV array consists of a 1,063-kW system, built with 4,620 panels. It will produce approximately 1,359,100 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 1,033 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions of 184 cars or powering 117 homes yearly.

Minneapolis -- Supervalu Inc. reported Tuesday that it swung to a loss of $424 million in the quarter ended Feb. 25, compared with a $95 million gain a year earlier. Results were negatively impacted by charges related to store closures and employee layoffs, but still beat Wall Street expectations.

MINNEAPOLIS  — Costs related to workforce reduction contributed to $424 million, or $2 per diluted share loss, at Supervalu for its fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. For the quarter, net sales were $8.2 billion. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, the company reported net sales of $8.7 billion and net earnings of $95 million or 44 cents per diluted share.

New York -- The average vacancy rate at strip malls across the United States edged down for the first time in nearly seven years in the first quarter, falling to 10.9% from 11% in the prior quarter, according to preliminary data by real-estate research company Reis Inc., Reuters reported. It was the first decline in nearly seven years.

But the firm warned consumer spending is still not strong enough to lift retail real estate out of its slump.