News

In case you missed it, Kate Berg, president of Bentonville-based Collective Bias, shared her views about where social media is headed and what it means for brands in the most recent issue of Connecting Northwest Arkansas. Berg is helping invent the future at the rapidly growing social shopper agency so it’s worth taking a minute to get inside her head. Read more.

NEW YORK — Walmart was among the only three retailers listed among The National Association for Female Executives list of the "Top 50 Companies for Executive Women." Office Depot and Macy's were the other two retailers.

New York City -- The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index, released Thursday, continued downward in January and consumer spending will face additional economic headwinds in 2012, according to Deloitte. The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — O'Reilly Automotive delivered strong profits for it fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, but its same-store sales were not as impressive. The company reported that net income for the quarter increased $17 million, or 16%, to $123 million from $106 million for the same period one year ago. Diluted earnings per common share for the fourth quarter increased 27% to 94  cents versus 74 cents for the same period one year ago. While the company did report a comps increase of 3.3% for the quarter, in the prior year, same-store sales jumped 9.2%.

ARMONK, N.Y. — Analysts at IBM are confident that retail sales are positioned for increases across a broad spectrum of categories.

According to a report released by the company, the surge will be led by a projected 8.2% rise in men’s apparel sales.

“The forecast of men’s apparel sales reflects a growing trend: men are definitely developing a taste for fashion – especially in business attire,” said Jill Puleri, global retail leader for IBM Global Business Services.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — DSW is giving students at the Fashion Institure of Technology in New York City a chance to accelerate their careers. The retailer announced that is sponsoring "A Design Affair," a contest that will award one winner with a cash prize, intership and his or her shoes being sold at DSW.

Philadelphia -- Urban Outfitters reported Thursday that sales for the fourth quarter, ended Jan. 31, rose 9% to $731 million.

AUSTIN, Texas — While food discounters may be thriving in this down economy, things aren't so bad at the other end of the spectrum. Whole Foods Market reported that sales for its first quarter ended Jan. 15 increased 13% to $3.4 billion, and comparable-store sales increased 8.7%. Identical-store sales, excluding six relocations and two expansions, increased 8.2%, or 17.3% on a two-year stacked basis.The company also posted a whopping 33% increase in net income to $118.3 million. Diluted earnings per share increased 28% to 65 cents.