News

British fashion retailer Oasis lets the permanent architecture do the talking at its store in Leeds, U.K. Designed as a model for international expansion, the 2, 238-sq.-ft. space was developed for ease of installation, flexibility and efficient detailing. The walls and ceiling were constructed away from the structural shell giving a fun stage-set feel while allowing elements to become standardized with less site-specific variables. The interior has the aesthetic of a Georgian house executed in a contemporary manner. (Oasis was designed by Dalziel+Pow, London.)

By Lee Peterson, wdpartners.com

Across-the-board payroll cuts have rarely delivered margins long-term for retailers. Crude cuts are more than misguided today, but a dangerous strategy for stores in the fight for survival against Amazon.

What’s your favorite department store? The experts at London-based design consultancy Dalziel+Pow have just come out with their top 10 global department store destinations. It’s an interesting list, with some familiar players, and some less so.

Here are the firm’s picks:

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has some pretty vivid memories of back- to-school shopping: getting dragged out alongside my mother to buy new outfits and a few No. 2 pencils. Now, it seems like everyone in the retail world is finding a way to join the party.

New York -- A buyout of Saks could further downgrade the retailer’s already low credit rating. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, credit rating provider S&P has placed Saks’ already non-investment-grade rating on watch for potential downgrade because any buyout would likely be leveraged with a large amount of debt. S&P currently gives Saks a credit rating of BB, the second-highest “junk bond” rating, which affects Saks’ loan interest rates.

Vancouver, B.C. – 99 Cents Only Stores is digitizing its audit management procedures with the ACL GRC internal audit management system. Leveraging the GRC solution, the retailer will replace spreadsheets and shared drives. Anticipated benefits include increased collaboration and visibility among team members, the ability to more easily perform risk assessments and scoring, and ease of workflow adjustment as new issues and risks are identified.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Domino’s Pizza, Inc. delivered strong results in net income, revenues and same-store sales during second quarter 2013. Net income totaled $33.3 million, up 18.5% from $28.1 million the same quarter a year earlier. Total revenues were about $414.1 million, up roughly 10% from $376.1 million a year earlier. Same-store sales rose 5.8% following an increase of 5.7% a year earlier, driven by 6.8% growth in domestic franchise stores.

Fort Worth, Texas - RadioShack Corp. on Tuesday reported a second-quarter loss that was bigger than analysts expected. However, revenue beat expectations, with the first increase in same-store sales since 2010, and the chain announced it was bringing on consultants to help with its turnaround.

Same store sales increased 1.3% at RadioShack during the second quarter, but clearance driven sales activity took a toll on profitability and the retailer enlisted the services of several turnaround firms.

LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass. — Ocean Spray Cranberries has appointed Thano Chaltas to the newly created role of global CMO. He will report directly to Ken Romanzi, SVP and COO of Ocean Spray Brands.

Chaltas will be responsible for global brand development, and a part of the grower-owned cooperative’s leadership team.