Michaels Same-Store Sales Up 0.7% in 4Q; Overall Sales Up 2.4%

Michaels Stores Inc. said its same-store sales climbed slightly in the fourth quarter from a year earlier as the arts-and-crafts company continued its trend of higher sales in recent quarters. The company, which sells items such as frames, wall decor, seasonal and floral items, said its same-store sales edged up 0.7% for the fourth quarter, helped by a 0.3% increase in the average ticket and a 0.4% increase in the number of transactions. Overall sales rose 2.4% to $1.331 billion.

Wall Street Journal

Cabela's Inc. Reports Record Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2010 Results

For the quarter, adjusted for divestitures, total revenue increased 8.4% to $934 million; retail store revenue increased 11.4% to $479 million; direct revenue increased 0.5% to $386 million; and financial services revenue increased 27.8% to $58 million. For the quarter, comparable store sales increased 7.3%. For the quarter, net income was $59.9 million compared to $52.4 million in the year ago quarter.

Business Wire

Sprouts to Merge with Henry's Farmers Market

Sprouts Farmers Market and Henry's Farmers Market -- two natural foods grocery chains that were founded by the same family, but operated under different owners -- will merge operations. As a result of the combination, Sprouts will have 7,000 employees and 98 stores located in Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas through the addition of Henry's, a California-focused chain that also operates Sun Harvest stores in Texas. 

Daily Camera

CVS/Pharmacy Weighs in with Lifestyle Program for ExtraCare Members

In an effort to encourage healthy lifestyles among consumers, CVS/pharmacy and Weight Watchers have developed a mutually beneficial rewards program. Members of CVS' ExtraCare loyalty program will be given the opportunity to save money on CVS/pharmacy purchases when they join Weight Watchers meetings. Conversely, Weight Watchers members will receive CVS/pharmacy ExtraBucks offers on such health-related items as blood-pressure monitors, blood-glucose testing equipment, healthy snacks and more.

Drug Store News

Fresh & Easy Opens Eighth GreenChill Store

With the opening today of a store in Oceanside, Calif., Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market here now has eight stores certified by the Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill Partnership - the most of any grocer in the country. Fresh & Easy opened its first GreenChill-certified store in September 2010. The Oceanside store, which was gold-certified, is the fourth GreenChill-certified Fresh & Easy store to open this year. 

Supermarket News

ALDI Comes to Queens

The first ALDI store in the New York City metropolitan area opens Feb. 18 in Rego Park Center, in the borough of Queens. The company is bringing its standard store floorplan to the Queens location, including 8-foot-wide aisles much wider than those found in an average New York City grocery store. The ultra-efficient ALDI format eliminates overhead costs through such merchandising its products in open-carton displays and encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags. The Queens location is the first of three grocery stores ALDI plans to open in the New York metro region. 

Progressive Grocer

Tesco's Global Growth Set to Outpace Rivals

With a compound annual growth rate of 7.5% between 2010 and 2015, Tesco is set to be the fastest growing retailer of the global grocery top four. Driven by sharing best practice in areas like loyalty and services across its markets, and particularly by activity in Asia. Tesco unveiled plans in November to quadruple revenue in China to about £4bn by 2014-15 by more than doubling its number of hypermarkets there to in excess of 200.

Kam City

Kingfisher Sees Profits Near Top End of Forecasts Despite Tough Trading at B&Q

Kingfisher, with over 840 stores in eight countries, has been cutting costs to cope with tough trading conditions, as well as improving margins. Analysts said the UK and Ireland division remained under pressure, despite like-for-like sales at B&Q showing a decline of 0.3% in the 13 weeks to 29 January, an improvement on the 5.1% seen in the previous quarter when comparisons with a year earlier were tougher. Total sales at the UK stores were up 0.1% to £835m. 

Kam City

Profits Grow at Dunelm, Upbeat on Outlook

Dunelm, which operates from about 110 stores, said it made a pre-tax profit of £48.5m in the six months to 1 January, up from £46.2m the year before. Sales increased 8.5% to £275.7m as the firm continued to open new superstores. However, like-for-like sales fell 1.2%. The group said it ended the half with net cash of £34.3m and is paying an interim dividend of 3.5 pence, up 16.7%.

Kam City