e metric is a key gauge of health because it strips out revenue from newly opened and closed locations, http://www.38uk.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=682650 - http://www.38uk.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=682650 . The better-than-expected results come as Kroger works to fend off growing competition from big-box retailers, drug stores and dollar stores that are expanding their grocery sections. To build customer loyalty, Kroger has focused on improving the in-store experience, offering discount programs and upgrading and expanding its stable of private-label products. Looking ahead, the company said net earnings in 2013 are expected to range from $2.71 to $2.79 per share, in line with its long-term growth projection of 8 percent to 11 percent. Sales at established supermarkets are expected to rise between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent. Kroger isn't alone in its strategies to attract and hold onto shoppers, however. On Wednesday, Safeway Inc. said it expects sales at established stores to climb between 2 percent and 3 percent, helped by a new customer loyalty program that offers personalized discounts based on past purchases. For the period ending Feb. 2, The Kroger Co. earned $461.5 million, or 88 cents per share. A year ago, the company reported a loss of $306.9 million, or 54 cents per share, as pension costs dragged down results. Not including one-time items, such as the benefit of an extra week in the quarter, adjusted earnings for the latest period were 77 cents per share. Revenue rose 13 percent to $24.2 billion. Analysts on average expected an adjusted profit of 70 cents per share on revenue of $24 billion. Kroger's stock rose 89 cents, or 3 percent, to close at $30, http://forum.wspx.cn/showtopic-1348872.aspx - http://forum.wspx.cn/showtopic-1348872.aspx .25 Thursday after trading at a 52-week high of $30.62 earlier in the session. FactSet said that it was its highest level since August 2008. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. An insider's guide to politics and policy, available on the iPad or as a PDF download.
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, Associated Press MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) Facebook doesn't want to be dismissed as an Internet has-been before its social network even enters its adolescence, http://www.tomsoutletsalecheap.com - cheap toms . In an effort to remain hip, http://www.tomsoutletsalecheap.com - tomsoutletsalecheap.com , http://bbs.66che.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=111871 - http://bbs.66che.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=111871 , it is infusing the focal point of its website with a more dynamic look and additional controls designed to empower its 1 billion users to sort streams of photos and other material into more organized sections that appeal to their personal interests. The changes unveiled Thursday are an attempt to address complaints that Facebook's hub the News Feed is degenerating into a jumble of monotonous musings and disjointed pictures. This has come as users' social circles have widened from a few dozen people to an unwieldy assortment of friends, family, http://www.cheaptomsshoessalei.com - cheap toms shoes , businesses, celebrities, co-workers and fleeting acquaintances. That evolution requires a more nuanced approach than the computer-generated algorithms that Facebook has been relying on to pick out the most relevant content to display in each user's News Feed. The growing popularity of smartphones and tablet computers equipped with high-quality cam
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