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RadioShack sees sales increase in fourth quarter

February 23, 2011 by

RadioShack Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, reported net sales and operating revenues for the 2010 fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2010 increased 3.8 percent to $1.37 billion, compared to $1.32 billion for the 2009 fourth quarter. Net income for the fourth quarter decreased to $57.0 million, compared with net income of $75.7 million reported for the same period last year. Comparable same-store sales for U.S. company-operated stores and kiosks increased 1.3 percent during the 2010 fourth quarter, compared with the 2009 fourth quarter.

Total net sales and operating revenues for 2010 increased 4.6 percent to $4.47 billion, compared to $4.28 billion for the 2009 full year. Full-year net income for 2010 increased 1.1 percent to $206.1 million compared with net income of $205.0 million reported last year.

Filed Under: Earnings Tagged With:

Cewe Color announces record sales for 2010

February 23, 2011 by

Cewe Color Holding AG, Oldenburg, Germany, has announced preliminary unaudited results for the 2010 fiscal year. According to a press release, sales increased 9 percent to a record level of Euro 446.8 million (US-$ 612.1 million), significantly beyond the management’s forecast, which was in the range of Euro 420 to 430 million (US-$ 557.4 to 589.1 million).

The operational result increased 50.9 percent to Euro 28.2 million (US-$ 38.6 million); earnings before taxes rose 57.4 percent to Euro 26.4 million (US-$ 36.2 million). The net result soared from Euro 6.7 million (US-$ 9.2 million) in 2009 to Euro 13.7 million (US-$ 18.8 million). Earnings per share more than doubled from Euro 1 (US-$ 1.37) to Euro 2.02 (US-$ 2.78), matching the management’s forecast.

“In addition to our innovative dynamics and intensified marketing activities, our investments in a high-performance industrial scalable production are paying off,” commented Dr. Rolf Hollander, CEO of Cewe Color Holding AG. “In the coming years, we want to continue our value-oriented growth driven by the Cewe Photo Book and the development of a commercial digital printing business.”

In the fourth quarter of 2010, sales of Cewe Color grew by 17.7 percent to Euro 150 million (US-$ 205.5 million), resulting in a record for the full year. Sales of the Cewe Photo Book increased 19 percent to 4.3 million pieces in 2010; other value-added photo products also contributed to the company’s growth (photo calendars +45 percent, greeting cards +57 percent and wall decoration articles +90 percent). Turnover per image processed increased from 0.122 Euro (US-$ 0.167) in 2009 to Euro 0.135 (US-$ 0.185), while the total number of images processed declined slightly by 3.8 percent to 2.5 billion units, but exceeded the forecast of 2.35 billion images. The number of analog pictures processed decreased 34 percent to 368 million prints in line with the market development. Analog photo processing accounted for only 15 percent of the total volume at Cewe Color in 2010.

For 2011, Cewe Color expects further growth with sales in the range of Euro 447 to 460 million (US-$ 612.4 to 631.4 million) and an operational result (EBIT) in the range of Euro 28 to 31 million (US-$ 38.4 to 52.5 million). Earnings per share are expected in the range of Euro 2.36 to 2.80 (US-$ 3.23 to 3.84).

The management of Cewe Color has issued a proposal to the company’s Supervisory Board and General Meeting to increase the dividend fpr shareholders. In 2009, the dividend was Euro 1.05 (US-$ 1.44).

Filed Under: Business, Earnings Tagged With:

March dates for Canadian Photoshop seminars

February 23, 2011 by
Guy Cowan

Guy Cowan

PMA Canada is cooperating with Guy Cowan to bring the Irish Photoshop specialist’s two-day seminars to Canada next month. Cowan travels worldwide demonstrating his retouching and post-production techniques.

PMA has organized a discounted day rate for members of $120 for each full day seminar. For more information go here.

Cowan started his career in the print/scanning industry and is recognised worldwide as a leading authority on digital retouching, amassing a wealth of experience during his 25 years working in the creative industry. His logical, unique approach and relaxed style of delivery is tickled by a wicked sense of humor to make the learning experience memorable and highly enjoyable.

The Canadian dates: March 14-15, Vancouver, British Columbia; March 17-18, Toronto, Ontario; March 21-22, Montreal, Quebec.

The first day’s seminar, Processing Workflow, will demonstrate post production workflow and action, enabling adjustment and editing images, including RAW files, with speed and accuracy. Cowan’s workflow will save time from the mindless repetition of the conventional post-production manipulation process.

The second day’s seminar, Creative Retouching, will see Cowan deliver an understanding of how to radically improve everything you do with Photoshop, and teach how to retouch in a truly intuitive, creative, non-destructive manner.

Filed Under: CliQ, Industry Notes, Newsline Shorts, Pro Photography Tagged With: , , ,

HP reports increased first quarter 2011 results

February 23, 2011 by

HP, Palo Alto, Calif., announced financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended Jan. 31, 2011. Net revenue of $32.3 billion was up 4 percent from the prior-year period both as reported and in constant currency.

HP saw balanced growth in the first quarter across all regions in local currency, with accelerated growth in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Results were largely driven by momentum in the commercial sector as businesses continued to spend on technology. HP experienced uneven consumer performance across its geographies and product categories during the quarter.

First quarter revenue was up 6 percent in the Americas to $14.4 billion. Revenue was flat in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and up 7 percent in Asia Pacific to $12.1 billion and $5.8 billion, respectively. When adjusted for the effects of currency, revenue was up 5 percent in the Americas, up 4 percent in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and up 2 percent in Asia Pacific. Revenue from outside of the United States in the first quarter accounted for 65 percent of total HP revenue, with revenue in the BRIC countries increasing 11% while accounting for 11 percent of total HP revenue.

Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) revenue grew 7 percent year over year with a 17.0 percent operating margin. IPG delivered strong performance across the business with share gains in all printing categories and 33 percent year-over-year growth in commercial printer hardware units. IPG continued to drive innovation and momentum with the new ePrint platform, graphic arts and other commercial print solutions.

Filed Under: Business, Earnings Tagged With:

Aviation focus of L.A. gallery exhibition

February 23, 2011 by
Robert Hoyt: "Pan American Clipper," at the Autry National Center. Courtesy Stephen White

Robert Hoyt: "Pan American Clipper," at the Autry National Center. Courtesy Stephen White

UPDATED: The fantasies and realities of flight and space exploration depicted through art and photography in the West and around the world go on display in the Autry National Center’s “Skydreamers” exhibition, April 29 – Aug. 21, now at the larger George Montgomery Gallery. The great journey of discovery and its unifying impact on all of us as eyewitnesses will unfold through approximately 150 items, principally original high-quality photographs, as well as works on paper, paintings, posters, and memorabilia drawn primarily from the extensive collection of flight and space material in the Stephen White collection.

Artistic works in Skydreamers will showcase the inception of human flight in the early 1780s when the Montgolfier Brothers captured the popular imagination with their development of a balloon that would ascend over the city of Paris. Once airplanes appeared on the horizon, artists were attracted to the shapes, forms, and perspectives aviation offered. Photography, barely out of its infancy, became the preferred medium of artists such as Alfred Stieglitz, Margaret Bourke-White, and abstract photographer Aaron Siskind. Contemporary artistic interpretations of space by artists including Sharon Harper, Michael Light, David Malin, Michel Benson, Jennie Okun, Robert Weingarten, and others will also be on display.

Imagery of Southern California’s contributions will be recognized with the first balloon ascension in that state around 1871, and the first aviation meet in America held at Dominguez Hills near Los Angeles in January 1910. Photos from other air meets also will be included.

Various achievements in the progress of flight will be highlighted through photographs of early fliers and planes as well as those of the first flight across the United States by Cal Rodgers in 1911 and Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight. Aerial photographs of active battlefields, cities, and atomic explosions will lead into space photography including the crowning achievement – a photograph of the earth taken from the moon. Plus, Voyager 1 images of the “pale blue dot” give visitors a chance to see Earth in perspective with the rest of the universe. This will be complemented by images of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, leading up to the final image of the 2004 Hubble Telescope’s Ultra-Deep Field, the deepest image of the universe ever taken, on view in a darkened area of the exhibition.

With the move to a larger venue, the exhibition will include more images including one of the interior of Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose” during construction. The Autry National Center itself is located in Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Under: CliQ Tagged With: , , ,

Fotopedia launches Memory of Colors app for iPad and iPhone

February 23, 2011 by

Fotopedia, creator of a collaborative photographic encyclopedia, announced Memory of Colors, a new app for the iPad and iPhone takes viewers on a photographic journey through disappearing cultures around the world and shares a message of peace, tolerance, and respect.

Memory of Colors features a rich collection of portraits that provide a look at humanity’s fragile diversity in over 18 countries, from Algeria to Yemen. The collection, created by photographer Jaime Ocampo-Rangel, took over 12 years to complete.

The app is intended for photography enthusiasts, lovers of the earth, children, educators or anyone who values and appreciates the diversity and stunning beauty of the human cultures.

Explore the last treasures of humankind with:

  • More than 1,300 spectacular high-resolution portraits
  • Wallpapers – all photos are in portrait mode, perfect for the iPhone.
  • Instant Slideshows – transform your iPad or iPhone into an endless, beautiful photo frame.
  • Easy Navigation – with Smart Tags, Suggestions, Search and Interactive Maps.
  • Rich Information – learn more by clicking to text descriptions.
  • Shuffle – shake your device to discover new images at random.
  • Social Media – Share your favorite images via email, Facebook and Twitter.
  • Shuffle – Shake the device to discover new images at random.

Fotopedia Memory of Colors is available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, for download on Apple’s iTunes and App Store. Priced at US$2.99, this app is offered at a special introductory price of US$0.99 for one week only.

Download the app here.

Filed Under: Pro Photography, Product News Tagged With: , ,

Primera ships RX900 Color RFID Printer

February 23, 2011 by
PrimeraRX900

Primera Technology Inc., Plymouth, Minn., announced its new RX900 Color RFID Printer is now shipping.

The RX900 is a full-color, on-demand label and tag printer that also has built-in RFID encoding technology. The RFID reader/encoding module is supplied by Intermec. It is compliant with EPC Global Gen 2 Class 1 and ISO 18000 –b and –c specifications.

“Until now, on-demand RFID labels and tags could only be printed in monochrome,” said Mark D. Strobel, Primera’s vice president of sales and marketing. “With RX900, you can add color coding, high-resolution color graphics and even photo-quality images to RFID labels and tags as they’re being printed. We are confident this capability opens up an entirely new set of exciting and cost-effective applications for RFID technology.”

RX900 is designed for applications that need both color and RFID, including:

  • File folder tracking – medical, government, insurance and more
  • Retail and apparel tags – for indicating sizes by color and anti-counterfeiting
  • Data tape tracking – for indexing by color, bar codes and RFID
  • Pharmaceutical labels – for printing photos of pills and for anti-counterfeiting
  • Oversized ID badges – for printing color photos and enabling electronic access/tracking at conventions and trade shows, concerts, marathons and other events
  • Wristbands – with full-color, high-resolution photos of patients and patrons and integrated RFID for tracking, positive ID and concessions
  • Printer drivers are included for Windows XP/Vista/7 along with NiceLabel SE for Primera and a starter version of Seagull Scientific’s BarTender label design/RFID software.

RX900 is priced at $4995 (MSRP) in the USA and Canada. It is available now from Primera’s resellers and distributors worldwide and at www.primerastore.com.

Filed Under: Product News Tagged With:

Fourth-quarter sales up at Wal-Mart

February 23, 2011 by

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville, Ark., reported fourth quarter net sales were $115.6 billion, an increase of 2.5 percent from last year. Net sales for the full year were $419 billion, an increase of 3.4 percent.

Walmart U.S. comparable store sales declined 1.8 percent in the 13-week period ended Jan. 28, 2011. Sam’s Club comparable sales, without fuel, increased 2.7 percent for the same period.

Walmart International net sales included a $664 million and a $4.5 billion currency exchange rate benefit for the quarter and fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2011, respectively. On a constant currency basis, Walmart International net sales were up 6.6 percent and 7.6 percent for the fourth quarter and fiscal year, respectively. The highest increases in net sales came from Brazil, Mexico, and China.

Filed Under: Chain stores, Earnings Tagged With:

Office Depot announces fourth quarter sales decline

February 23, 2011 by

Office Depot Inc., Boca Raton, Fla., announced total Company sales for the fourth quarter of 2010 were $3.0 billion, a decrease of 3 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2009.

The Company reported a net loss, after preferred stock dividends, of $58 million  in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to a loss of $77 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Fourth quarter 2010 sales in the North American Retail Division were $1.2 billion, a decrease of 2 percent compared to the same period last year. Comparable store sales in the 1,124 stores in the United States and Canada that have been open for more than one year decreased 1 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the prior year period. \the quarter.

The North American Retail Division had an operating profit of $16 million for the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to $2 million reported in the same period of the prior year.

During the fourth quarter, Office Depot closed six stores, opened three and relocated four stores, bringing the total store count for North America to 1,147 as of December 25, 2010.

Fourth quarter 2010 sales in the North American Business Solutions Division were $798 million, a decrease of 3 percent compared to the same period last year. The division’s fourth quarter average order value was slightly lower versus the same period last year. Although lower customer transaction counts were the main driver of the sales decline during the quarter, the rate of decline has improved sequentially over the last seven quarters. Direct channel sales in the fourth quarter increased versus one year ago while contract channel sales declined in the fourth quarter versus last year.

The North American Business Solutions Division reported an operating profit of $37 million for the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to $21 million for the same period of the prior year.

Fourth quarter 2010 sales in the International Division were $930 million, a decrease of 5 percent in U.S. dollars and approximately flat in constant currency, compared to prior year.

Filed Under: Earnings

Macy’s reports double-digit earnings growth

February 23, 2011 by

Macy’s Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, announced sales in the fourth quarter of 2010 totaled $8.269 billion, an increase of 5.4 percent, compared with sales of $7.849 billion in the same period last year. On a same-store basis, Macy’s, Inc.’s fourth quarter sales were up 4.3 percent.

The company’s total sales for the 52 weeks of fiscal 2010 totaled $25.003 billion, up 6.4 percent from total sales of $23.489 billion in fiscal 2009. On a same-store basis, Macys’  fiscal 2010 sales were up 4.6 percent.

Online sales (macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined) were up 29.1 percent in the fourth quarter and 28.7 percent for fiscal 2010 compared with the same fiscal 2009 periods. Online sales positively affected the company’s same-store sales by 1.1 percentage points in the fourth quarter and 0.9 percentage points in fiscal 2010 as a whole.

In fiscal 2010, the company opened two new Macy’s stores in Palmdale and Tracy, Calif.; a new Bloomingdale’s store in Santa Monica, Calif.; and four new Bloomingdale’s Outlet stores. Macy’s Home stores in Kansas City, Kan., and Owensboro, Ky., also were consolidated into nearby full-line stores during the year. A Macy’s store in Warwick, R.I., was closed in 2010 due to flood damage and is expected to re-open when repairs are complete in the first quarter of 2011. In January 2011, the company announced the closing of three Macy’s stores in Union City, Ga., Chestnut Hill, Mass., and Austin, Texas. In February 2010, Bloomingdale’s opened in Dubai under a license agreement with Al Tayer Insignia, a company of Al Tayer Group LLC.

Operating Income

Macy’s, Inc.’s operating income totaled $1.144 billion or 13.8 percent of sales for the quarter ended Jan. 29, 2011, compared with operating income of $874 million or 11.1 percent of sales for the same fiscal 2009 period. Macy’s, Inc.’s fourth quarter 2010 operating income included $25 million in asset impairment and other store closing costs. Excluding these costs, operating income for the fourth quarter of 2010 was $1.169 billion or 14.1 percent of sales. Fourth quarter 2009 operating income included $186 million of asset impairment charges, other costs and expenses related to store closings announced in January 2010, and expenses associated with division consolidation and localization initiatives announced in February 2009. Excluding these costs, operating income for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $1.060 billion or 13.5 percent of sales.

For fiscal 2010, Macy’s, Inc.’s operating income totaled $1.894 billion or 7.6 percent of sales, compared with operating income of $1.063 billion or 4.5 percent of sales for fiscal 2009. Macy’s, Inc.’s fiscal 2010 operating income included $25 million in asset impairment and other store closing costs. Excluding these costs, operating income for fiscal 2010 was $1.919 billion or 7.7 percent of sales. Fiscal 2009 operating income included $391 million of asset impairment charges, other costs and expenses related to store closings announced in January 2010, and expenses associated with division consolidation and localization initiatives announced in February 2009. Excluding these costs, operating income for fiscal 2009 was $1.454 billion or 6.2 percent of sales.

Cash Flow

Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.506 billion in fiscal 2010, compared with $1.750 billion in fiscal 2009. This includes $825 million in pension plan contributions in fiscal 2010, compared with $370 million in fiscal 2009. Net cash used by investing activities in fiscal 2010 was $465 million, compared with $377 million in the previous year. Thus, net cash provided before financing activities was $1.041 billion in fiscal 2010, compared with $1.373 billion in fiscal 2009.

In fiscal 2010, Macy’s, Inc. repaid $1.245 billion in debt, compared with $966 million repaid in fiscal 2009.

via Macy’s, Inc. Reports Double-Digit Earnings Growth for Fourth Quarter and FY2010 | Business Wire.

Filed Under: Chain stores, Earnings Tagged With:
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