same store sales

The holiday shopping season is looking pretty bleak for retailers. Best Buy recently announced that it plans to hire fewer holiday workers than it did last year, and now new data from the consumer research group NPD suggests that Best Buy won't be the only chain stuck in a holiday sales rut.

Retailers forecast that 2011 will be a year spent dealing with inflation, expanding stores and trying to wean shoppers off their markdown habit. Faced with rising costs that are pushing their prices higher, merchants say they have to focus on growing sales, regardless of the economic pressures.

Wendy's/Arby's Group, the third-largest U.S. fast food company, said Thursday it is considering selling the Arby's chain to focus on the Wendy's brand. Arby's is the second-largest quick-service sandwich chain in the U.S., but its performance lagged behind Wendy's during the downturn.

After seeing interest from potential buyers, children's clothing retailer Gymboree has hired Goldman Sachs to auction itself off, and more private-equity firms have already stepped in to say they want to play. Gymboree executives are reportedly looking for price of $55 to $60 a share.

The weather was hot in July, but consumers went cold, leading to disappointing retail sales that came in below or at the low end of most forecasts. The high temperatures may have been one culprit, helping boost sales of marked-down summer clearance items.

Whole Foods's third-quarter earnings beat analyst estimates, but same-store sales disappointed investors, sending shares down in aftermarket trades.

Starbucks posted on-target earnings, with same-store sales growing 9% from a year ago, thanks to 6% more traffic and a 3% increase in the average bill.

Bill Simon has been promoted to President and CEO of Walmart U.S. The company also said that Vice Chairman Eduardo Castro-Wright, 55, has been appointed President and CEO of Global.com and Global Sourcing, The change is probably a demotion for Castro-Wright who supervised most of the company's...

March sales at stores across the U.S. are expected to report a jump in sales, thanks to an early Easter and warm weather. Retailers report same-store sales tomorrow, a key industry metric that measures sales at stores open at least a year. Analysts are expecting same-store sales at retailers such...

Shares in Target (TGT) fell nearly 3% Thursday after the nation's second biggest discount retailer said same-store sales -- a key retail metric -- missed Wall Street's average estimate. But Target's short-term pain could be a patient investor's long-term gain -- if the stock is indeed as cheap as...