Home Depot

Home Depot reported that profit for the quarter ended Jan. 30 surged 72 percent to $587 million, compared with $342 million a year earlier. The home-improvement chain provided 2011 guidance at or above the views it gave in December.

Who hasn't been reeled in by the lure of a money-back rebate, reducing the purchase price of that new dishwasher or refrigerator you need? The process sounds so simple, too: Just fill out a rebate form, mail it back with a proof of purchase, then sit back and wait for the check to arrive in the mail. At least so it seems.

How the online shopping experience has changed since the birth of e-commerce was the focus of a lively session at the National Retail Federation's BIG Show in New York City this week.

Shoppers will continue to spend more this year, spurred by a slowly improving job market and an uptick in income, but enough shoppers are still struggling with their finances that any increase will be modest, a retail industry expert said.

Retail stocks rose after the Commerce Department reported the biggest monthly retail sales increase since March, giving an encouraging note as the industry readies for its biggest selling period.

The advent of new technologies has forever changed the way consumers shop. Today, consumers routinely research, purchase, ship and return products across all 
channels. They're using mobile devices, phones, websites, email, stores and catalogs in whichever combination is the most convenient for them.

Retailers stand to reap billions from the financial-overhaul legislation being finalized by Congress this week, possibly giving them a long-sought victory by slashing the "swipe fees" that credit-card companies charge merchants for every debit-card transaction. Members of the House and Senate announced an agreement Monday to include the debit-card fee cuts in the final version of the overhaul bill — a loss for the financial industry, which had mounted a furious campaign to eliminate or water down the proposed regulations.

Kim Siefke, e-commerce manager, web design and development at Bealls, spoke at last month's retail Marketing Conference in Orlando, Fla. on how her company has used rich media to grow its online and cross-channel sales. Joining Siefke in presenting a session titled “How Rich Media Can Help Drive Cross-Channel Success” was Wayne Sadlowski, vice president of business development at Adobe Scene7, a provider of image server software.

Companies from Tiffany & Co. to Home Depot Inc. are restocking shelves in a move that will boost economic growth and may keep the recovery on track through 2010. Tiffany, based in New York, is planning for a “high single-digit percentage increase” in inventories this year as the world’s second-largest luxury jeweler retailer opens new stores, Chief Financial Officer James Fernandez told analysts March 22. Home Depot, the largest U.S. home-improvement retailer, “will be building inventory” this year in support of stronger sales, Carol Tome, chief financial officer of the Atlanta-based company, said on a Feb. 23 analysts call.

Sears guarantees it will match a lower price at Lowe's and Home Depot, and give mower buyers a $10 gift card and tractor buyers a $20 gift card. Sears sells a variety of lawn-and-garden brands, and its prices are compared with rivals on the website, but the site emphasizes its primary brand, Craftsman. Sears, which says its lawn-and-garden shoppers tend to be a bit older and higher-income than its rivals, is intent on keeping its leading share of the powered lawn-and-garden market and battling shoppers' perceptions that Craftsman products cost more than other brands.