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Sears 1Q loss widens, sales remain soft

By WTOP Staff

ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Business Writers

NEW YORK (AP) — Sears Holdings signaled that it may close more stores than the 80 locations it is shuttering this year as the beleaguered retailer looks for ways to restore profitability and raise cash.

The news came as the Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based company, which operates Kmart as well as Sears stores, reported a wider first-quarter loss as sales declined 7 percent. The biggest drag was consumer electronics, a category that has been suffering because of price competition online.

Sears Holdings Corp., controlled by billionaire hedge fund investor Edward Lampert, has been cutting costs, reducing inventory and selling assets to return to profitability. Sears announced last week that it was considering selling its Canadian operations. It recently spun off clothing business Lands’ End as a separate public company after not having much success with it.

At the same time, it’s shifting away from its focus on running a store network to operating a member-focused business.

But its biggest albatross remains its stores, which have been criticized for being outdated. By the end of the first quarter, the company operated 1,900 Sears and Kmart stores.

Lampert, who is chairman and CEO, combined Sears and Kmart in 2005, about two years after he helped bring Kmart out of bankruptcy. But it has faced mounting pressure from nimbler rivals like Wal-Mart Stores and Home Depot.

Moreover, Sears is also facing broader issues that are tripping up many other retailers. Like other stores catering to low- to middle-income customers, Sears is wrestling with a slowly recovering economy that’s not benefiting all Americans equally. It also faces a shifting landscape where mobile shoppers want more flexibility on where and how they buy.

Lampert told investors in a pre-recorded call Thursday that Sears is seeing progress in its shift to a member-focused business called Shop Your Way, with first-quarter member sales comprising 74 percent of eligible sales — the highest level ever. That’s up from 68 percent from the same period a year ago.

But David Tawil, co-founder and portfolio manager of Maglan Capital, which follows distressed companies, says the free loyalty program hasn’t “gained enough traction or isn’t unique enough to set it apart from others.”

Lampert said in the call that the company “may close additional stores in the course of this year” on top of the 80 now being closed.

Lampert acknowledged that overall profitability remains a challenge.

“Our performance in the first quarter highlights the challenges we are facing as well as the progress we are making in this transformation,” Lampert added.

Sears lost $402 million, or $3.79 per share, for the period ended May 3. That compares with a loss of $279 million, or $2.63 per share, a year ago.

Excluding certain items, it lost $2.24 per share.

Revenue fell 7 percent to $7.88 billion, partly because there were fewer Kmart and Sears stores open. The results also accounted for weaker Sears Canada revenue and the spinoff of Lands’ End in April.

Lampert noted that the biggest negative was the consumer electronics businesses at its Kmart and Sears stores. Sales at domestic Sears stores open at least a year edged up 0.2 percent in the quarter. Excluding the impact of consumer electronics, the figure rose 0.8 percent. At Kmart stores open at least a year, sales declined 2.2 percent. Stripping out the impact of the consumer electronics business and its grocery and household goods category, the metric slipped 0.4 percent at Kmart.

Sales at stores open at least a year is a key indicator of a retailer’s health. It excludes results from stores recently opened or closed

To turn around its consumer electronics business, Sears said it’s moving the business from a focus on selling TV’s to a company empowering Connected Living that will bring together its capabilities in fitness equipment, electronics, appliances, home services and auto services.

Another business that struggled was its fitness equipment business. It plans to boost that business as part of its Connected Living strategy. For example, it will reward Shop Your Way members for activities monitored via Fitbit, Jawbone Up and other smartphone apps.

One bright spot was online sales, which increased 26 percent.

Sears’ shares rose 4.2 percent, or $1.54, to close at $38.10.

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Follow Anne D’Innocenzio at http://www.Twitter.com/adinnocenzio

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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