News

Asheville, N.C. – Ingles Markets, Inc. reported net income of $9.5 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2014, down 18% from $11.6 million during the same period a year earlier. Net sales rose 1.1% for the quarter, to $945.1 million from $935 million.

Grocery same-store sales decreased 0.8%. In addition, operating expenses rose, which may have contributed to the decline in net income. Robert P. Ingle II, CEO of Ingles, also cited holiday price-cutting measures.

Milwaukee – Roundy’s, Inc. will be offering 2,948,113 shares of its common stock, and certain selling stockholders will be offering 5,896,226 shares of the company’s common stock. The underwriters will be granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,326,650 shares of common stock from the selling stockholders, all at the offering price less the underwriting discount.

Hampstead, Md. – The correspondence between Jos. A. Bank and The Men’s Wearhouse continues, and it’s not all love letters. In response to a letter sent Jan. 30 from the Men’s Wearhouse board urging Jos. A. Bank to reconsider its recent all-cash offer to acquire Jos. A. Bank for $57.50 per share, or about $1.6 billion, Jos. A. Bank — which rejected that offer on Jan. 20 — does not sound anxious to revisit it in the most recent letter it sent to Men’s Wearhouse president and CEO Doug Ewert.

New York -- Even as online shopping continues to grow, more U.S. shoppers are planning to make purchases from physical stores in 2014, according to a survey by Accenture. In the “seamless retailing” study, 21% of U.S. shoppers said they plan to increase their in-store purchasing, up from just 9% in last year’s study.

As we look back on the first-ever outdoor cold weather Super Bowl, there are several lessons digital retailers can take away from how the NFL, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks all prepared for what many said was an impossible or foolish undertaking. Some of the same steps these entities took to ensure a successful experience playing the Super Bowl is subfreezing conditions apply to retailers ensuring a successful digital experience for their customers, regardless of naysayers.

Flexibility Keeps Things Running

Sports Authority has named Jeremy J. Aguilar as CFO. Aguilar was most recently at Hhgregg, where he has been CFO since 2009.

“Jeremy’s expertise in finance and accounting will play a critical role in further strengthening Sports Authority,” said CEO Michael E. Foss. “He will be a valuable asset to the team; we are thrilled to have him on board.”

Our industry has talked so much about omnichannel that it seems only the “aha” gets our attention anymore. Here’s the problem: Our talk is well ahead of our ability to execute. And execution is what matters.

Omnichannel isn’t sexy. It’s not about “Wow.” It’s about making it easier for people accustomed to an anything-anytime-anywhere world to do business with us. That’s primarily a question of organization, commitment and execution, for manufacturers as well as retailers.

R.G. Barry Corporation’s chairman of the board Gordon B. Zacks died at his Bexley home following a brief illness. He was 80.

Zacks joined his family's business in 1955 after attending Dartmouth College and graduating from the Ohio State University. He joined the board of directors in 1959 and was named company president in 1965. He added the roles of chairman of the board and CEO to his resume in 1979. Following retirement from his day-to-day management roles in 2004, he was named the company's non-executive chairman of the board, a post held until his death.

WinCo Foods plans to open its first discount supermarkets in Texas at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 6. The 95,000-sq.-ft. stores will feature the company’s newest décor which highlights its project offering.

The Ft. Worth store, located at 8000 Crowley Lane, will initially employ approximately 180 individuals, 170 of whom are local hires, and the McKinney store, located at 1800 N. Graves St., will open with approximately 170 employees, 160 of whom are local hires.

L’Oréal Canada’s Javier San Juan has been appointed president of Latin America Hispanic Zone and president of L’Oréal Mexico.

Frank Kollmar will succeed San Juan as president of L'Oréal Canada. Kollmar was recently president of the Consumer Products Division in Canada. He began his career with L'Oréal Canada 15 years ago in the active cosmetics division. In 2003, he left to join the German subsidiary of the group, where he led an international career before returning to Canada in 2011.