News

Evansville, Ind. – Increases in cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) drove a year-over-year reduction in net income during the second quarter of fiscal 2014 at Shoe Carnival Inc. The company reported net income of $2.58 million, down 59% from $5.84 million the same period a year earlier.

Net sales fared better, rising 3% to $222.1 million from $216.4 million. Same-store sales dropped 2.1%.

Saks Fifth Avenue continues to step up its digital efforts with its launch of a user-generated content hub called #SaksStyle.

Created by Curalate on its Fanreel image integration platform, #SaksStyle will function as a daily go-to guide for fashion inspiration created solely by Saks customers, highlighting products purchased from Saks Fifth Avenue locations nationwide and online.

Issaquah, Wash. – Costco Wholesale Corp. on Thursday reported that its revenue for the fourth-quarter climbed 9% to $34.8 billion. Total same-store sales, excluding negative impacts from gasoline price deflation and foreign exchange, increased 7%.

Costco plans to open nine new warehouse stores before the end of calendar year 2014.

During the full fiscal year 2014, Costco reported a 7% jump in net sales to $110.2 million from $102.9 million. Total same-store sales rose 6%.  

Just two days after reporting second-quarter results, Fred's posted August results. Improved sales and traffic in the month were driven, according to CEO Bruce A. Efird, by initiatives that the company implemented for the first time in August.

Total sales for the month increased 6% to $147.6 million from $139.4 million in August 2013. Comparable store sales for the month increased 2.3% compared with flat store sales in the same period last year.

Hayward, Calif. – Posiflex is releasing the HS2310, an ultra‐small, all‐in‐one point‐of‐service terminal with a multitouch projected capacitive screen. The HS2310 is winner of the 2014 Red Dot Award for Product Design and the 2013 COMPUTEX Design & Innovation award.

This 10-inch projected capacitive touch screen terminal comes integrated with a three-inch thermal printer, encryption‐capable magnetic stripe reader, WiFi and optional secondary customer displays.

Walgreens reported August sales of $6.4 billion, an increase of 3.6% from the same month in fiscal 2013. Total sales for fiscal 2014 were $76.4 billion, an increase of 5.8% from fiscal 2013.
 
Total front-end sales increased 2.1% in August compared with the same month in fiscal 2013, while comparable-store front-end sales increased 1.4%. Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 1.7% while basket size increased 3.1%.
 

Tiffany & Co. has named Jill Beraud as an EVP, effective Oct. 13. Beraud will be responsible for global retail operations, including all sales channels in every region, as well as oversight of strategic store development and real estate.

“We are delighted that Jill will join our management team and believe that she can further enhance our regional and global capabilities to support Tiffany’s continued sales and earnings growth,” said Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and CEO.

Clearwater, Fla. – AccuStore, a provider of site profiling technology and services, announced The Pantry, a chain of 1,500 plus convenience stores, has licensed AccuStore’s site profile management platform with plans to reduce operating costs and improve execution.