News

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Wednesday by Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, found that retailers are in tune with the last-minute shipping intentions of the average consumer.

According to Shop.org’s 2012 eHoliday Study conducted by BIGinsight, 45.7% of retailers will end standard shipping promotions by Monday, Dec. 17, in direct response to the average consumer’s tendency to wait until the last minute to finish holiday shopping.

Issaquah, Wash. -- Costco Wholesale Corp. reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Nov. 25 rose 30% to $416 million, compared with $320 million in the year-ago period and surpassing analysts’ forecasts.

Sales increased 9.6% to $23.71 billion from $21.2 billion, beating Wall Street’s estimated $22.11 in revenue. Same-store sales increased 6% domestically and 7% internationally, excluding fuel sales and foreign exchange effects.

WAYZATA, Minn. — Sugar substitute Truvia will expand beyond U.S. borders, bringing its stevia sweeteners to Mexico.

Truvia has joined forces with Grupo Herdez, a market leader in the production, distribution, and sale of foods in Mexico, to distribute and market Truvia sweetener in Mexico. Truvia, which recently branched into Canada, will now have a presence throughout North America in 2013, although it could face an uphill battle in Mexico where artificial sweeteners have yet to catch on with consumers.

New York -- In a Tuesday night address at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. president and CEO Mike Duke didn’t shy away from discussing the fiscal cliff, saying that the current debate is having a negative impact on consumer spending.

Ankey, Iowa -- Casey's General Stores Inc.'s reported Monday that its net income declined nearly 13% in its fiscal second quarter on lower sales of gasoline, groceries and cigarettes.

Casey's made $32.9 million in the quarter ended Oct. 31, down from $37.6 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 7.2% to $1.91 billion. Same-store sales of gasoline fell 0.4%, while sales of merchandise dropped 0.7%. Cigarette sales were hurt by competitive pricing and an increase in an Illinois state excise tax, CEO Robert J. Myers said in a statement.

We’ve all seen the footage that’s become an annual ritual for media outlets reporting on Black Friday: long lines, stampeding crowds and frantic shoppers. But the real drama is how stores fare once the dust settles, and this year was no exception. The length of the lines isn’t the ultimate Black Friday metric; it’s the bottom lines for retailers around the country that tell the tale.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. on Tuesday posted a bigger-than-expected increase in quarterly profit and total sales in line with Wall Street expectations. But the chain said it remained cautious about the rest of the year, amid heightened pricing competition and

Dollar General said it plans to open approximately 635 stores in fiscal 2013, including some 20 Dollar General Market stores and 40 Dollar General Plus stores. The company also plans to remodel or relocate a total of approximately 550 stores.

AVON, Ohio — Duck Tape is teaming up with the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards to get students to stick with the arts. To that end, it will sponsor the Mixed Media category and offer a $500 prize to five works within the category, chosen by Duck brand from a pool of National Gold Medal Scholastic Award winners.