Store Systems

Francesca’s Holdings Corp. saw net income decline, but still beat Wall Street predictions, in the first quarter of fiscal 2016.
 
The specialty apparel retailer reported net income of $7/08 million, down 2% from $7.24 million the same quarter a year earlier. Higher selling, general and administrative (S,G&A) expenses offset improvements in gross profit.
 

The SouthBay Pavilion Center in Carson, California, is getting a little bigger.
 
KTGY Architecture + Planning has unveiled the design for Vintage Real Estate’s retailer expansion at SouthBay Pavilion, a 1.2 million-sq.-ft. enclosed shopping center.  KTGY adapted Forever 21’s F21 RED brand for the new SouthBay Pavilion store, which includes large floor-to-ceiling display window boxes, textured wall treatments and red metal panels.
 

Dollarama Inc. got fiscal 2017 off to a strong start.

Dollarama Inc. reported sharp increases in profit and revenue during the first quarter of fiscal 2017, and intends to open a net of 60-70 new stores by end of the year.
 
Net earnings soared 28% to $83.2 million from $64.8 million the same quarter a year earlier. Improvement of the gross margin and lower selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses as a percentage of sales helped drive net earnings growth.

Bob Dylan sang “The Times They Are A Changin’” more than 50 years ago, but the sentiment is very current in the world of digital commerce.

Bob Dylan sang “The Times They Are A Changin’” more than 50 years ago, but the sentiment is very current in the world of digital commerce.

Today’s retailers face significant challenges as online increases its share of wallet, mall-based stores stumble, technology requirements mount, and customer engagement remains elusive for many. The business environment is clearly marked by the need to rationalize store counts, headcount, and product count.
 
As management faces up to these challenges, they seek purposeful justification of expenditures, higher shareholder returns, and greater customer engagement.
 

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has strong feelings about credit card swipe-fee regulations.

On Tuesday, June 7, the NRF released the following statement after Rep. Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, announced plans to repeal swipe-fee reform and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act.

Today’s retailers face significant challenges as online increases its share of wallet, mall-based stores stumble, technology requirements mount, and customer engagement remains elusive for many. The business environment is clearly marked by the need to rationalize store counts, headcount, and product count.
 
As management faces up to these challenges, they seek purposeful justification of expenditures, higher shareholder returns, and greater customer engagement.