PCC Natural Markets opened its first Snohomish County store Wednesday at 9803 Edmonds Way in Edmonds. The 25,000-square-foot store features a full-service deli, fresh sushi, pizza and gelato bars, a bulk food department and a teaching kitchen. The store also features environmentally friendly building improvements to maximize energy efficiency and minimize waste. Employing about 120 people, the store is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
New stores aid Zumiez sales
Everett-based Zumiez Inc., the retail chain specializing in action sports clothing and gear, said August sales rose by 13 percent, to $53 million, compared with a year ago. Nearly all of the increase was credited to the chain’s expansion to new locations, as same-store sales rose by just 0.2 percent. Trevor Lang, Zumiez’s chief financial officer, said footwear and boys clothing were big sellers last month at its 330 stores.
Bothell biotech patents proteins
Helix BioMedix Inc., a Bothell developer of wound-healing proteins known as peptides, has licensed its new patented technology to Rodan + Fields Dermatologists, a leading clinical skincare brand founded by two Stanford University-trained dermatologists. Under terms of the license, Rodan + Fields will develop skincare products using Helix’s technology, the first of which could be introduced early next year.
TiVo approves DirecTV deal
Shares of TiVo Inc. jumped Wednesday after the company said it will launch a new high-definition digital video recorder under an extended agreement with DirecTV Group Inc., reigniting a once cooling relationship. DirecTV had been using DVR technology from NDS Group PLC. Late last year it extended its contract with NDS. The new TiVo deal extends the companies’ agreement by five years to Feb. 15, 2015, and helps TiVo gain access to DirecTV’s HD market.
Staples profits slip 16 percent
Staples Inc. said Wednesday that its second-quarter profit dropped 16 percent, as the office supply chain was hurt by slowing sales in U.S. stores. The Framingham, Mass.-based retailer earned $150.2 million, or 21 cents per share, for the quarter ending Aug. 2. That’s down from a year-ago profit of $178.8 million, or 25 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn 21 cents per share on revenue of $4.69 billion.
Tax preparer narrows losses
H&R Block Inc. says it narrowed its loss in its fiscal first quarter as improvement in its tax services business was offset by losses in its consumer financial services division. The nation’s largest tax preparer reported a loss of 41 cents per share in the period ended July 31, a significant improvement over the loss of 93 cents per share reported in the same period a year ago. The Kansas City-based company reported a net loss of $132.7 million compared with $302.6 million in the year-ago quarter.
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