Lowe's Companies, Inc., a Mooresville, NC-based home improvement company, is set to open a store in Maine. The new store slated to open in the second week of February has 117,000 square feet of retail sales space. It will stock about 40,000 different items tailored to the Maine market. The store is expected to create nearly 175 job opportunities. The 60-year-old company opened its first store in Maine in 2005 and now operates about 1,375 stores across 49 states.
Applebee's appoints new chief marketing officer
Applebee's International, Inc., has named George Williams as its chief marketing officer. Williams, who takes over his new role on Friday, will handle marketing, advertising, research, and development for Applebee's. He will also be working on food-and-menu strategy for Applebee's International, Inc., which is headquartered in Overland Park, KS. The company develops, operates, and franchises restaurants in 49 states and 17 countries. Williams has experience in marketing and management and most recently worked as a private marketing consultant. Earlier, he held management and marketing positions at Blockbuster, Inc., Pearle Vision, and Days Inn, among other companies.
McDonald's same-store sales figures up in January
McDonald's is in the fourth year of a turnaround. The company posted high revenues of $21.6 billion last month and almost doubled its profits in 2006. In the U.S., same-store sales figures for January showed an increase, as well. This boost is being attributed to the fast-food chain's extended hours and sales of its new Chicken Snack Wrap and breakfast items. Figures show a rise in profits at McDonald's outlets in other countries, also. U.S. systemwide sales for January increased by 4.4%. McDonald's spends around $100 million each year to promote its morning menu, which is now responsible for around 30% of its annual sales. The company has seen some competition from Burger King, Wendy's, and Starbucks, all of which have been aiming to capture bigger shares of the breakfast market.
Walt Disney posts high first-quarter earnings
The Walt Disney Company has reported doubled earnings in its first quarter, as share prices have soared by more than 70% since 2004. The company has been helped by one-time sales of assets and DVD sales, including those for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Disney's studio entertainment division has contributed heavily to the gains—revenues have risen by 29%, and operating income has quadrupled—with sales of DVDs, including the Disney/Pixar film Cars and the re-release of The Little Mermaid. The company said its net income has risen to $1.7 billion. Disney's share price now trades at about 20.3 times projected 2007 earnings. The company's rival, Time Warner, Inc., trades at 21.2 times projected 2007 earnings, while Viacom, Inc., trades at 20.6 times projected 2007 earnings.
Wrigley posts fourth-quarter profits
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company has reported that its fourth-quarter profits rose by 37%. The company's share price has gone up to $0.46 per share from $0.33 per share in the previous fourth quarter. The company recorded an increase in sales and profits for the seventh year in succession. This is being attributed to high international sales. Higher sales in Europe and the Middle East prompted an increase of 11% to $1.22 billion from $1.11 billion for the quarter that ended December 31. However, sales in the U.S. rose by just 1%. The company's annual profits increased by 2%—or $1.90 per share—while annual sales increased by 13% last year.
Mothers Work sees a drop in sales for January 2007
Mothers Work, Inc., a retailer of maternity apparel, announced that its net sales for January 2007 decreased to $40.8 million from $42.2 million for January 2006. The decrease in sales is being attributed to cold weather conditions in the U.S. this January. Mothers Work operates maternity clothing stores and also sells merchandise via the Internet.
Warner Music Group's revenue dips as album sales plunge
Warner Music Group posted a decrease of 74% in its first-quarter income and an 11% drop in revenue. The decrease comes on the heels of a dip in album sales as consumers turn to downloading music from the Internet rather than buying albums. Sales of recorded music fell by 13%. Sales of albums by artists Josh Groban and My Chemical Romance fell lower than those of last year's hit albums. However, digital music sales brought in $100 million. The New York-based company's digital music sales in the U.S. currently make up about 17% of its domestic business.
