Zumiez Inc., the Everett-based seller of action sports-related gear and clothing, said same-store sales during February shrank by 2.6 percent compared with the same month last year. Overall sales grew by 11.5 percent, to $23 million, thanks to the addition of new stores since last year. Zumiez ended the month with 288 stores nationwide.
Bothell’s Sonus posts solid gain
Sonus Pharmaceuticals of Bothell posted income of $1.9 million, or 5 cents a share, during the fourth quarter, compared with a net loss of $7 million in the same period a year ago. The swing to a profit was the result of higher revenue from a research collaboration agreement combined with lower expenses. Sonus severely cut expenses by ending a late-phase clinical trial for a chemotherapy drug in the fall after it showed disappointing results. For all of 2007, Sonus lost $13.1 million, compared with $23.6 million in 2006.
Port commission to visit Vancouver
The Port of Everett commission will visit Vancouver, Wash., March 17 and 18 for a retreat. The trip will include a visit to Vancouver’s port facilities and discussions of common issues with port officials there. Members of the Everett commission will also discuss upcoming local issues, such as how much authority it should delegate to port administrators. The retreat is open to the public.
Zimbabwe currency sinks to a new low
The Zimbabwe currency tumbled to a record low of 25 million for a single U.S. dollar Wednesday, currency dealers said. With Zimbabwe dollars mostly available in bundles of 100,000 and 200,000 notes, one $100 note bought nearly 40 pounds of local notes at the new market rate Wednesday. Currency dealers said uncertainties ahead of elections scheduled March 29 and the world’s highest inflation of 100,500 percent caused the drop in value.
Despite losses Ford posts bonuses
Even though it lost $2.7 billion last year, Ford Motor Co. will pay performance bonuses to all hourly and salaried workers in the U.S. and Canada, and to its management team around the globe, the automaker’s chief executive announced Wednesday. In an e-mail message to workers sent Wednesday morning, Chief Executive Alan Mulally said the bonuses will come in paychecks this month because the company is making significant progress toward becoming profitable again. Hourly workers will get lump-sum bonuses of $1,000 this year.
Apple movies count falls short of goal
Apple Inc. has fallen substantially short of its target of having 1,000 movies available for rent on its Apple TV set-top box by the end of February, and is blaming studios for the discrepancy. A complete count of the number of movies available on the box on Wednesday was elusive, but appeared to be between 400 and 500. A menu option that showed all movies at once has been removed. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs told shareholders at the annual meeting Tuesday that he’s “not happy,” according to the San Jose Mercury News.
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