News

CST Brands net income soars in Q4 on fuel, CPG margins
San Antonio, Texas – Net income soared on rising margins in fuel and consumer packaged goods at convenience/fuel retailer CST Brands Inc. in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income rose 176% to $94 million from $34 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Revenues dropped 13% to $2.7 billion from $3.06 billion. For the full fiscal year, net income rose 44% to $200 million from $139 million. Revenues fell 4% to $12.18 billion from $12.78 billion.
Jo-Ann teams up with Boys & Girls Clubs
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores is aiming to attract more families with a new corporate giving campaign.

The fabric and craft specialty retailer announced that Boys & Girls Clubs of America will be a major recipient of Jo-Ann corporate giving in 2015. To help inspire young minds, customers will be able to purchase a “pin-up” upon checkout to benefit the organization from March 1 through April 4 at all Jo-Ann stores nationwide.

NPD partners with Slice for e-commerce data offering

Palo Alto, Calif. - Global information company The NPD Group has partnered with Slice Intelligence to provide comprehensive, retailer-independent e-commerce data available. For the first time, NPD will offer comprehensive, cross-retailer e-commerce data that is directly measured from e-receipts from Slice’s panel of two million consumers.

The data will be classified using NPD’s industry-standard product dictionaries, and validated by NPD’s benchmark databases.
Physical and digital united by NPD deal

NPD Group and Slice Intelligence have announced a partnership that the companies say will create a more comprehensive data offering for retailers.

Specifically, as the announcement explains, mobile and e-commerce data from Slice Intelligence will be included in NPD’s existing checkout tracking service.
Kohl's Cares about school field trips

Kohl’s is sponsoring a Milwaukee-area school grant program for the third year in a row. The Kohl’s Cares Field Trip Grant Program gives more than $1 million in funding to schools throughout the metro-Milwaukee area.
Barneys gets closer to the customer

New York - For the upscale, 33-store Barneys New York, customer experience is everything. Affluent shoppers buying high-priced merchandise have certain expectations beyond the availability of quality items, regardless of channel they choose.

“We want every customer to have an online experience personalized to their taste profile, preference and geography, just as we would do in our flagship stores,” Matthew Woolsey, executive VP of Barneys digital, told Chain Store Age.
Potbelly Corp. CFO resigns

Chicago – Charles Talbot, CFO of food service retailer Potbelly Corp., is leaving the company for a position outside the restaurant industry. Talbot will continue to serve as Potbelly's CFO while an external search is underway, until his departure on March 27.
Growth accelerating at Steinmart

Off-price department store operator Steinmart is looking to capitalize on favorable business trends this year with an aggressive expansion plan that will see the company add 11 new stores.

The Jacksonville, Fl.,-based operator of 270 stores had indicated last fall it would open 10 new stores this year, but after reporting better than expected sales results the growth target was increased by one location. Steinmart opened nine new stores last year as part of a renewed commitment to physical expansion.
Barnes & Noble to spin off college business

New York – Barnes & Noble Inc. is separating its college business from its retail and Nook digital businesses. The planned separation of Barnes & Noble Education (which comprises the Barnes & Noble College business) will, when consummated, create two independent, publicly traded companies.

The separation is intended to be a tax-free distribution to Barnes & Noble shareholders and is anticipated to be completed by the end of August 2015, subject to customary conditions.
Chico's loss widens, will close more stores

Chico’s FAS Inc. has revealed plans to close more stores, cut jobs and decrease its capital spending to $100 million for fiscal 2015, a 29% decrease to its three-year average.