Financial News

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General on Friday posted a net sales increase of 8.1% to $5.8 billion for its fiscal 2017 second quarter (13 weeks) ended Aug. 4, 2017.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Wednesday evening reported net sales of $9.8 billion for the month of August, the four weeks ended Aug. 27, an increase of 10% as compared to the similar period last year.

Comparable sales in the U.S. market were up 7.4% for the four-week period.

In addition, comparable e-commerce sales across all global markets for the four-week retail period were up 26%.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred’s on Friday posted a sales decline of 4.2% to $153 million for the four-week fiscal month ended Aug. 26. The decrease in total sales is related primarily to the closure of 39 underperforming stores in the first quarter, the company reported.

 CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Dollar Tree on Thursday posted consolidated net sales of $5.3 billion, representing an increase of 5.7%, for its second fiscal quarter ended July 29.

“The formula for growth is simple. There’s really only three levers you can pull — find new buyers, get your buyers to spend more and/or raise prices,” said Chris Morley, president of fast-moving consumer goods, or FMCG, and retail at Nielsen. “But talk to most retailers and FMCG companies today, and they’ll tell you that growth is increasingly hard to find.”

Drug Store News recently spoke with Phillip Dritsas, SVP and general manager, consumer division and specialty markets for Mission Pharmacal, about the opportunities for Dr. Smith’s products in both the baby and adult categories.

DSN: Can you tell us more about trends in both ends of the baby and adult category?

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. — Skin care and hair care company Sundial Brands on Monday announced its debut on Black Enterprise Magazine’s BE 100s List as the tenth largest black-owned business in America. With a national reach of 35,000 major retailers, an increasing focus on its global strategy and a continual emphasis on new innovations, Sundial is also the only beauty and personal care manufacturer to make this year’s list. 

The average household spends $3,400 on packaged goods, but the average grocery banner only captures as much as 20% of that, according to a recent IRI report. “With the overall market not growing, retailers and manufacturers need to find new sources of growth by capturing a bigger piece of the existing pie,” wrote Web Fletcher, principal at IRI Shopper Analytics and lead author of IRI’s “Delivering Growth Through High-Value Customers” research, which was published in July.