News

Foster City, Calif. – Visa Inc. is introducing Visa Digital Solutions, a comprehensive suite of offerings that facilitate secure payments across a broad range of Internet-connected devices and wearables.

Visa Digital Solutions fall into two main categories of supporting new payment models and protecting consumers and supporting innovation.

Seattle -- Starbucks that its consolidated net revenue growth accelerated 11% in the third quarter, to $4.2 billion. Consolidated operating income increased 25%, to $769 million.

The coffee giant raised the number of net new stores it expects to open in its Americas region from 600 to 650.

Global same-store sales increased 6%, marking the 18th consecutive quarter of global comp growth of 5% or greater. Same-store sales in the United States rose 7%.  

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corporation announced that Darren Karst is joining Rite Aid as executive VP and CFO, effective Aug. 20.

Karst succeeds Frank Vitrano, who has announced he will retire in September, 2015. Until then, Vitrano retains the chief administrative officer responsibilities for the company’s information technology, real estate and indirect procurement functions. He will also serve as a key resource in the development and execution of new business and growth initiatives.

Salt Lake City – A 23% increase in Overstock.com’s sales and marketing expense helped reduce its second quarter fiscal 2014 net income to $1.9 million, down 48% from $3.7 million in the same period a year earlier. Revenue grew 13% to $332.5 million, from $293.2 million.

Patrick M. Byrne, CEO and chairman of Overstock.com, cited increases in technology spending as helping the company to quickly conceive and execute new ideas such as a recently launched consumer credit facility.

Norwalk, Conn. - The Priceline Group Inc. has successfully completed its previously announced tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock of OpenTable Inc. for $103 per share in cash. The all-cash transaction is valued at $2.6 billion.

Salt Lake City - Overstock.com Inc. has augmented its wish list feature with wedding, baby and special occasion registries. When creating a registry, customers are offered recommendations of top sellers within the Overstock GiftFinder for wedding, baby, housewarming, graduation, birthday or other special occasion categories.

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St. Louis – Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. reduced its net loss to $4.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014 from $6.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013.

Consolidated net sales fell 7.7% to $75.4 million, from $80.4 million. Consolidated same-store sales dropped 4.9%.

Build-A-Bear cited the net closure of 10 stores from the prior year as helping to reduce revenues. CEO Sharon John said the company is poised for a strong second half of the fiscal year.

Miami -- Ryder System, a leader in commercial fleet management and supply chain management solutions, announced the launch of its new “That’s Ryder” brand advertising campaign. The campaign, the first of its kind for Ryder in nearly two decades, includes the debut of a new tagline for the company – Ever better.

Clearwater, Fla. – MarineMax reported net income of $11.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, down 16% from $13.63 million a year earlier. A substantial increase in selling, general and administrative expenses drove the net income decrease.

Marinemax fared better in revenue, which grew approximately 22% to $214.4 million for the quarter compared with $175.8 million for the comparable quarter the prior year. Same-store sales increased approximately 22%.