News

ABILENE, Kan. — Broad-line retailer ALCO Stores asserted that it is off to a favorable start this holiday season, after reporting a 2.7% in sales from continuing operations for the quarterly period ending November 25.

New York -- Barnes & Noble reported Thursday net income of $2.2 million for the quarter ended Oct. 27, compared with a loss of $6.6 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue was nearly flat at $1.88 billion, missing Wall Street’s expected $1.91 billion in revenue.

NEW YORK — James Gallagher was named CFO at Bluefly, an online retailer of designer brands founded in 1998 in the heart of New York’s fashion district.

Gallagher comes to Bluefly with more than 33 years of  financial, strategic and operations experience with growth oriented international, entrepreneurial and corporate entities across a broad range of industries, including Internet-focused marketing, e-commerce, entertainment and technology companies.

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Mobile payment platform provider Kuapay said Thursday it has launched a new payment system at 14 KFC/Taco Bell restaurants in the Los Angeles area.

Duapay and franchisee Great American Chicken Corp launched the system in order to make smartphone ordering and payment faster and easier. The launch follows a two-month pilot program and encompasses locations in Los Angeles County, Orange County and the Ontario area.

Digital audience measurement firm comScore has launched a new service called Media Metrix Multi-Platform to help advertisers makes sense of how shoppers are interacting with their brands in an increasingly multi-channel world.

New York -- Tiffany & Co. reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Oct. 31 plummeted 30% to $63.2 million from $89.7 million, hurt by higher costs and tax rates as well as continued economic softness.

Revenue climbed 4% to $852.7 million, missing Wall Street’s expected $858.8 million in sales. By region, sales rose 6% in Europe and 3% in the Americas.

The retailer has cut its full-year earnings forecast.

Women’s specialty retailer Coldwater Creek said co-founder, chairman and CEO Dennis Pence will relinquish his role of CEO at year end.

Replacing Pence and joining the board of directors of the Sandpoint, Idaho-based chain will be Jill Brown Dean, the company’s current president and chief merchandising officer. Assuming Dean’s role will be Michele Donnan Martin who joins the company as SVP/GMM responsible for all merchandising functions.

New York -- Retailers that opened early on Thanksgiving evening gained an advantage and that promotional activity was about on par with last year, according to a new Moody’s report, “Thanksgiving Weekend: The Early Bird Gets the Worm.”