Business news with words chain+department. 44 news.

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Tokyo-listed supermarket and department store operator Seiyu Ltd. will undergo a restructuring that will see the firm refurbish stores and open new ones, while targeting a return to profitability within two years, according to the Nikkei business daily. As part of its transformation to a wholly-owned subsidiary Wal-Mart Stores Inc. this spring, the firm will consolidate five regional units, up the pace of its refurbishment plans to include more than 70 stores in 2008 and make other adjustments to its supply chain and payroll procedures, the Nikkei reported. Seiyu will open about 60 new stores by 2012 and target annual group sales of more than 1.2 trillion yen. The report said the strategy set out the goals as part of five-year plan.

Demand for baby cashmere clothing and iPods has helped John Lewis achieve a further week of record festive sales, the department store chain said yesterday.

Shares in Debenhams soared almost 15pc after on speculation that retail entrepreneur Mahesh "Micky" Jagtiani has taken a 7pc stake in department store chain.

SOUTH Korea's largest retailer Lotte Shopping Co plans to acquire a stake in a Chinese discount-store chain to expand its presence on the Chinese mainland, the Seoul-listed company said in a regulatory filing yesterday. Lotte agreed to buy a 49-percent stake in CTA Makro, which now operates five discount stores in Beijing and two in Tianjin, from SHV Holdings NV for 57.6 million euros (US$82.90 million). The Netherlands-based SHV Holdings IV now operates CTA Makro with a 49-percent stake while China Trade Association Property Corp Ltd owns 51 percent. Lotte also plans to open another outlet in Beijing next year, according to the statement. However, the acquisition plan is still awaiting China's regulatory approval. Shanghai Daily's call to CTA Makro yesterday was not answered. The retailer, which controls more than 40 percent of South Korea's department store market and 14 percent of discount stores, is preparing to open new outlets through land purchases and buying existing

CONSUMER confidence is falling, the odds of a recession have risen, analysts predict the worst holiday shopping since 2002 - and retail-industry executives are buying their companies' shares like never before. Limited Brands Inc Chief Executive Officer Leslie Wexner and eight other executives bought a record amount of stock last month after prices fell to a four-year low. Dillard's Inc director Warren Stephens made the biggest insider purchase ever as shares of the Arkansas-based department store chain headed for the steepest decline since at least 1980. Cambiar Investors LLC, Royce & Associates LLC and Becker Capital Management Inc say insider buying foreshadows a rebound. The last four times executives added to their holdings, the Standard & Poor's Supercomposite Retailing Index rose an average 9.9 percent in the next three months, topping a 6.2-percent average rise in the S&P 500 Index. Retail company officials increased their investments by US$346.4 million since the start

John Lewis, the department store chain, is on track to see weekly sales of ?100m for the first time ever this week, bringing a much-needed boost to the retail sector after a sluggish start to the Christmas trading season.

John Lewis, the department store chain, is on track to see weekly sales of £100m for the first time ever this week, bringing a much-needed boost to the retail sector after a sluggish start to the Christmas trading season. The record-breaking figure, never before achieved in the retailer's 143-year history, will help to dispel fears of a widespread consumer slowdown. John Lewis said that sales between Sunday and yesterday morning were up by 7.4pc compared to the same week last year. That week, the retailer reported sales of £93.8m. This means that if sales growth continues at its current level until Saturday,

It was considered a retailing masterstroke - the $11 billion acquisition of the May Department Store Company by Federated Department Stores to form what is now known as Macy's. The 2005 merger created the first national department store chain and gave Macy's unprecedented clout with suppliers. Macy's Chief Executive Terry Lundgren, considered the merger's architect, was initially lauded as a visionary. Then the trouble started.

Department store chain Debenhams has appointed Asda's former head of clothing, Angela Spindler, to the newly-created post of managing director.

Patient First clinic opens today at Hopkins' Bayview campus Patient First, an urgent care chain, opens a new center this morning on the campus of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center -- its first facility on the grounds of a hospital and its first in Baltimore City. Bayview sought out Patient First, seeing it not as competition but as a mechanism to unclog its crowded emergency department.

DSG, formerly known as Dixons, became the latest retailer to say that sales of 'white goods' like fridges and washing machines have slowed. Finance director Kevin O'Byrne said that there had been a "single digit decline" in white goods sales in the last two months and that the company was hoping to improve the situation during the January sales. Last week Kesa Electricals, which owns Comet, said that its profit margins had been hit as customers bought fewer white goods in favour of less profitable electricals like laptops. Kesa followed in the footsteps of department store chain John Lewis which also said that

Department store chain John Lewis yesterday reported a sales surge as the countdown to Christmas began in earnest.

Foes object, cite mad cow disease The Department of Agriculture began to allow the importation of older Canadian cattle into the U.S. on Monday for the first time in more than four years, marking a final rollback of trade restrictions imposed after the 2003 discovery of mad cow disease in Canada.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Macy's Inc. swung to a third-quarter profit of $33 million, or 8 cents a share, from a year-earlier loss of $3 million, or 1 cent a share. Excluding May Co. merger integration costs of $17 million, earnings for the period were 10 cents a share. The Cincinnati department store chain operator said revenue for the thirteen weeks ended Nov. 3 rose less than 1% to $5.91 billion from $5.89 billion during the year-ago period. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 7 cents a share on revenue of $5.9 billion. Macy's expects earnings, excluding items, of $1.70 to $1.80 a share for the fourth-quarter. The company expects same-store sales in the range of down 2% to up 1% for the fourth-quarter and expects November same-store sales to be "significantly" higher and December to be "below last year." Macy's expects total sales for the fourth quarter of $8.7 billion to $8.9 billion. The company expects same-store sales to be down 0.3% to 1.3% for the year. Total sales for the year are expected at $26.4 billion to $26.6 billion.

Ailing chain's ads reach for stars, plug exclusive sales lines Macy's Inc. is turning to star power this holiday season to fight disappointing sales and resistance to its takeover of local department stores.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Kohl's Corp.'s October same-store sales fell 3.8%, hurt by "significant declines" in weather-sensitive businesses such as outerwear, fleece and sweaters. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Financial predicted an October same-store sales increase of 0.5%. The Wisconsin department store chain's total sales for the four-week period ended Nov. 3 rose 1.6% to $1.27 billion over the four-week period ended Oct. 28, 2006. Based on October's results, Kohl's expects third-quarter earnings in the range of 59 cents to 60 cents a share.

News that the Fiesta Mart at the Katy Freeway and Blalock will close at year's end surprised and disappointed customers shopping there Thursday. The closing also figures in a dispute between the Houston-based grocery chain and the Texas Department of Transportation.

Icelandic retail investor Baugur says it may make a joint bid for luxury US department store chain Saks.

The department store chain sharply reduces its debt after the Icelandic investment group implemented cost control and cash extraction since it gained control in November

Debenhams said its autumn and winter ranges were being well received as the department store chain offered early signs of a trading revival yesterday.