Data & Analytics

York, Pa. – An insurance settlement from a store damaged by fire helped The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. increase net income in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 to $71.7 million, up 17% from net income of $61.3 million in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Sales grew 3%to $942.6 million from $914.9 million. Top-performing merchandise categories included cold weather and active apparel and home. The company continued its trend of double-digit sales growth in e-commerce in the period. Same-store sales rose 4.3%.

Moorestown, N.J. – Destination Maternity Corp. swung from profit to loss during the four-month period ended Jan. 31, 2015. This period marks the transition period related to the company's previously announced fiscal year-end change from Sept. 30 to the Saturday nearest Jan. 31 each year.

Destination Maternity reported a net loss of $17.38 million, compared to net income of $3.09 million in the same period a year earlier. Higher cost of goods sold and a variety of impairment charges pushed Destination Maternity into the red.

Nashville, Tenn. – Positive traffic and conversion rates helped Kirkland’s Inc. increase net income during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 26% to $15.6 million, from $12.3 million in the year-earlier period. Net sales increased 14.5% to $178.7 million, from $156.1 million.

Same-store sales, including e-commerce sales, increased 8.2%.

Fremont, Calif. – Men’s Wearhouse reported a loss of $35.9 million for the fourth quarter, compared with a loss of $30.5 million in the year-ago period, weighed down by costs related to its June 2014 acquisition of Jos. A. Banks.

Net sales increased 66% to $928.4 million from $560.6 million, aided by the addition of revenue from Jos. A. Bank.

By brand, same-store sales increased 6.8% at Men’s Wearhouse stores, 8.6% at Moores and 6.8% at K&G. Sales fell 6.6% at Jos. A. Bank.

Nashville, Tenn. – A variety of pretax items, including network intrusion expenses and a lease termination, helped limit fourth quarter net earnings growth at Genesco Inc. to a level below company expectations. However, net income still rose 19% to $50.4 million from $42.15 million the same quarter in the previous fiscal year.

Net sales increased 13% to $893 million from $793 million. Same-store sales increased 10%.

Jacksonville, Fla. – Stein Mart Inc. had a generally successful fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 and plans to open 11 new stores, close two stores and relocate one store during fiscal 2015. The off-price retailer reported net income of $12.3 million, up 66% from $7.4 million the same quarter a year earlier and driven by higher gross profit and lower selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses.

Net sales rose 7% to $387 million, from $360.79 million. Same-store sales increased 5.6%.

New York – Retail real estate firm Simon, in partnership with fashion and retail event company Decoded Fashion, has announced the 10 finalists in its "Future of Retail: Meet the Disruptors" competition. The competition's mission is to discover startups in retail or retail-related technologies whose innovations will enhance the shopping experience for future generations.

The finalists, all innovative startups in retail or retail-related technologies, are:

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has integrated the Visa ReadyLink instant fund service into its Rapid Reload network of prepaid card programs. Now Visa reloadable prepaid cardholders can add funds to their general purpose reloadable (GPR) cards at participating Wal-Mart stores.

The addition of 700 new stores last year and a 4.9% increase in fourth quarter same store sales helped Dollar General achieve record results and has the company looking to capitalize on the momentum by accelerating what is already the retail industry’s most aggressive new store expansion plan.

Dollar General chairman and CEO Rick Dreilling said the company will add to its 2014 year end store total of 11,789 units in 2015 by opening 730 new stores and remodeling 875 others.

The acquisition of JoS. A. Bank is weighing on the financials at Men’s Wearhouse, which posted a decline in profits for the fourth quarter.

Men’s Wearhouse reported a quarterly loss of $35.9 million, or $0.75 per share, versus a year-ago loss of $30.4 million, or $0.64 per share. Excluding non-operating items, the company lost $0.03 per share, versus a year-ago loss of $0.38 per share. Its net sales surged 66% to $928.4 million.