Data & Analytics

A new smartphone app Walmart unveiled to suppliers on Thursday has the potential to drive improved in-stock levels and increase associate efficiency.

PHOENIX — PetSmart reported that its fourth quarter earnings were up 36% to $1.24. Comparable-store sales, or sales in stores open at least a year, grew 4.6%, benefitting from comparable transactions growth of 1.2%. Total sales for the quarter were up 15% to $1.9 billion.

For the year, the company delivered earnings per share of $3.55, up 39% compared with $2.55 last year. Comparable-store sales grew 6.3%, benefitting from comparable transactions growth of 2.4%. Total sales for the year were $6.8 billion, up 11%.

New York -- The ax has fallen — again — at J.C. Penney Co. The retailer laid off approximately 2,200 employees in its stores and district offices on Wednesday, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The majority of the staff cuts occurred in some 100 stores that had significant sales declines last year, spokeswoman Daphne Avilla said in the report, with Penney adjusting the employee count to match each store’s new level of business.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. on Thursday reported a better-than-expected profit for its fourth quarter profit amid a surge in sales.

For the period ending Feb. 2, Kroger earned $461.5 million, compared to the year ago period when the company reported a loss of $306.9 million as pension costs dragged down results.

Revenue rose 12.8% to $24.2 billion. Same-store sales increased 3% for the quarter, excluding fuel. After adjusting for the extra week in the fourth quarter, total sales increased by 3.7% over the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.

Arlington, Va. -- Sustainability teams in retail companies are growing, and reporting levels are gaining seniority, according to a new survey by the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

The report, RILA’s second Retail Sustainability Report, was done in sponsorship with Ernst & Young, The survey uncovered six significant trends, specifically that:

1. Sustainability teams are growing. Most companies surveyed have full-time sustainability teams. Teams are growing, and reporting levels are gaining seniority.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Hanes has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highly coveted Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award for 2013.  The award is the company's fourth consecutive year of Energy Star recognition and its second consecutive year as a recipient of the Sustained Excellence Award, which is given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding sustainability leadership year after year.

LISLE, ILLINOIS — The Numerical Algorithms Group, Ltd., a provider of mathematical software components to industry and other organizations, has named Ken Kubat to the board of directors of its North American subsidiary NAG, Inc. The appointment is effective immediately.

Phoenix -- PetSmart Inc. reported a 31% increase in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit, helped by an extra week of sales. But its forecast for this year disappointed investors.

The company earned $134 million for the quarter ended Feb. 3, up from $102 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 15% to $1.88 billion from $1.64 billion, helped by an extra week of sales in the more recent quarter. Same-store sales rose 4.6%.

For the full year, PetSmart’s revenue rose 11% to $6.8 billion.