Data & Analytics

Philadelphia – Urban Outfitters saw its net income decline 20% to $37.08 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015, from $47.06 million in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. This significant net income drop came despite a 6% jump in total net sales to $686.3 million, from $648.2 million.

Net income and sales totals both came in below Wall Street expectations. Total same-store sales remained flat. Higher marketing expenses, which helped boost net sales, contributed to the decline in net income.

Indianapolis – Hhgregg Inc. swung to a net loss of $7.2 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to net income of $9.9 million in the same period the prior fiscal year. Net sales dropped 10% to $538.3 million, from $597.6 million.

A same-store sales decline of 10% affected both net income and sales, and charges related to Hhgregg’s planned exit from the mobile phone business also helped drive its net loss.

Houston – Stage Stores Inc. reported a net loss of $18.79 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2014, up from a net loss from $6.86 million in the same period a year earlier. Net sales slightly declined to $372.04 million from $372.1 million, while same-store sales decreased 0.2%.

Montreal - LightSpeed, has unveiled its new LightSpeed Cloud for iPad POS solution. The patent-pending app lets retailers use product photos, logos and other imagery to design a custom, fully branded POS and interactive selling tool that offers personalized product look-ups and recommendations.
 

Troy, Mich. - PayAnywhere, the professional grade mobile point-of-sale solution from North American Bancard, has released PayAnywhere Storefront, its free touch-screen tablet and stand with built-in credit card reader. PayAnywhere Storefront provides new simple pricing, security protection and advanced business analytics.

Washington, D.C. – Organized retail crime (ORC) is down slightly from 2013 but still a pervasive problem. According to the National Retail Federation’s 10th annual Organized Retail Crime Survey, which polled 76 senior retail loss prevention executives, eight-in-10 (88.2%) retailers report that they have been a victim of ORC in the past year, down slightly from 93.5% in 2013.

By Kris Bjorson and Lew Kornberg, Head of Retail Tenant Representation at Jones Lang LaSalle

Despite getting a slow start to the year, The Home Depot rallied in the first quarter thanks to solid results in non-weather-impacted markets.

The home improvement retailer reported first-quarter sales of $19.7 billion, up 2.9% from last year's first quarter. Comparable store sales were up 2.6%. Comp-store sales for U.S. stores were positive 3.3%.

The company also reported double-digit growth in net earnings — up 12.5% to $1.38 billion.

Target continues to make leadership changes in the U.S. and Canada following Gregg Steinhafel’s ousting from the company in an effort to drive U.S. traffic and sales, improve its ailing Canadian operations and advance its ongoing digital transformation.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group has promoted Heather Catelotti to VP of investor relations. Catelotti will report directly to CFO Marty Ellen.

The move comes following Carolyn Ross’s elevation to SVP, strategy and innovation. Ross will continue to report to Ellen.