News

ABILENE, Kan. — Duckwall-ALCO Stores fourth-quarter net sales increased 1% to $137.5 million, compared with the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. Same-store sales, excluding fuel center sales, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 decreased 0.6% to $133.4 million, compared with the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. Net sales from continuing operations for fiscal year 2012 increased 4.4% to $482.8 million, compared with fiscal year 2011. Same-store sales, excluding fuel center sales, for fiscal year 2012 increased 3.0% to $467.7 million.

DALLAS — Neiman Marcus Group announced that Joshua Schulman has been appointed president of Bergdorf Goodman, effective May 7.

Schulman, 40, joins Neiman Marcus from Jimmy Choo where he was CEO. In this role, he oversaw the international expansion of the brand and the growth of jimmychoo.com. Prior to Jimmy Choo, Schulman was president, Kenneth Cole New York, and managing director, international strategic alliances, Gap Inc.

Reacting quickly to an early spring, Brentwood, Tenn.-based Tractor Supply Co. said its first-quarter sales increased 22% to $1.02 billion.

Same-store sales for the quarter increased 11.5%. The country’s largest farm-and-ranch retailer, which will release its full first-quarter earnings results April 25, said the same-store sales increase was driven, in part, by early spring weather in 2012.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General has pledged its support of the White House’s Joining Forces initiative, which promotes private sector employment for members of the military community.

Hingham, Mass. -- Talbots Inc.’s fourth-quarter loss widened to $53.2 million for the period ended Jan. 28, not as bad as analysts expected, compared to a loss  of $2.8 million in the year ago. Its results were pressured by restructuring and executive retirement costs, as well as increased mark-downs and promotions. The chain also forecast first-quarter revenue that missed analysts' expectations. Revenue for the quarter slipped 1% to $289.4 million from $292.6 million, but beat Wall Street's estimate of $267.9 million. Same-store sales were flat.

By Seth Sarelson, [email protected]

In 2009, Terry Lundgren, the CEO of Macy's, gave the keynote address at Shop.org, discussing how “the power of e-commerce extends far beyond the keyboard and right onto the sales floor.” Lundgren went on to say that Macy’s believes that $5 billion of in-store sales is influenced by the Internet.

The way we pay and with what has and will continue to change. “Retailers may soon find themselves trying to figure out the most efficient way to convert such things as Facebook credits into cash and back again,” according to Eddie Myers, president of the Electronic Transactions Association.

The Canadian consumer is a value conscious, “tough nut to crack,” who is already well-served by existing retailers, according to Diane Briesebois, president and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada, a trade association founded in 1963 that represents retailers that operate more than 45,000 stores and account for 85% of Canadian retail sales.

NEW YORK — After projecting that consumers likely would spend the same or more at retail this spring, Deloitte reported Thursday that its Consumer Spending Index climbed in March, marking only the third monthly increase over the past 12 months.

The Index, which comprises four components — tax burden, initial unemployment claims, real wages and real home prices — rose to 1.80 from an upwardly revised reading of 1.52 the previous month. Despite this increase, however, Deloitte noted that several factors may be restricting consumer cash flow:

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Despite running fewer stores, Rite Aid grew its sales and narrowed its losses during the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2012, thanks to a boost in its loyalty card program membership, a longer fiscal year and the continuing dispute between Walgreens and Express Scripts.