News

Union, N.J. -- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.’s third quarter net earnings rose to $237.2 million, less than Wall Street expected, from $232.8 million in the year-ago period, as higher costs and expenses impacted sales growth. The company trimmed its full-year earnings outlook.

Revenue for the three months ended Nov. 30 rose 6% to $2.87 billion, from $2.7 billion. Same-store sales increased 1.3%.

Philadelphia – Net sales at Urban Outfitters for the two months ended Dec. 31, 2013, increased to $716 million, or 8% from the same period in the previous year. Same-store retail segment net sales, which include the direct-to-consumer channel, increased 3%.

Same-store retail segment net sales increased 21% at Free People and 11% at Anthropologie and decreased 6% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 21%.

Pittsburgh – Total net revenue for American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. decreased 2% to $882 million during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, compared to $904 million for the same quarter a year earlier. Consolidated same-store sales decreased 7%, compared to a 5% increase for the comparable period in 2012.

New York – Barnes & Noble reported decreases in revenue for both its retail and Nook segments during the nine-week 2013 holiday season as compared to the same period in the prior year. The retail segment, which consists of the Barnes & Noble bookstores and BN.com, had revenues of $1.1 billion, decreasing 6.6% from the prior year.

Philadelphia -- Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 at Destination Maternity Corporation decreased 0.3% to $134.8 million from $135.3 million reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2013. Same-store sales slightly increased 0.7%.

Franklin, Tenn. – A majority of retailers want their next POS software to have omni-channel capabilities. According to a new research study from IHLGroup, “Stores Reinvented: 11th Annual Store Systems Study,” 63% of retailers say their next POS software will utilize a single business logic that can be used for POS, mobile POS, m-commerce and e-commerce functions.

Phoenix – Manthan Systems is introducing its ARC Pricing Optimization application. ARC Pricing Optimization offers capabilities designed specifically for the retail environment and is a part of the company’s latest release of its ARC Merchandise Analytic application, MA6.4
Specific capabilities include:

Auto Recommendation: Identify products at group or individual store level that are candidates for price changes based on performance objectives and pricing strategies.

Atlanta -- Landscaping is the most popular outdoor do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement New Year’s resolution project. According to a recent online survey of 540 homeowners by the Home Projects Council (HPC), homeowners selected landscaping (15.2%), planting a garden (13.5%) and building a deck (6.3%) as the top three outdoor DIY home improvement New Year’s resolution projects.

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar Stores on Thursday announced that president and COO Michael Bloom has left the company to pursue other interests. The company will conduct a search for a new president and COO. The news comes amid disappointing first quarter results for the company, which lowered its earnings expectations for the second quarter and full year. Family Dollar also announced it has promoted Jason Reiser to the position of executive VP - chief merchandising officer.

In partnership with PlaceWise Media, CBL & Associates Properties has launched websites with technology that connects retailers and customers at 27 of its malls.

The technology collects deals offered by retailers and puts them in front of shoppers via smartphones and tablets. It provides every retailer and restaurant in a mall with an online presence that enables each to engage local customers.