Targeted promotions help Lands' End

DODGEVILLE, Wis. (AP) — Lands’ End, which was recently spun off by Sears, reported a 68 percent increase in its fiscal first-quarter profit on Thursday as shoppers have responded favorably to a better merchandise assortment and targeted promotions.

Lands’ End started trading as a public company in April. It had been publicly traded before Sears Holdings Corp. purchased it in 2002 for nearly $2 billion. Sears announced in December that it was going to spin off the clothing business as a separate company by distributing stock to its shareholders.

For the period ended May 2, Lands’ End earned $10.9 million, or 34 cents per share. That’s up from $6.5 million, or 23 cents per share, a year earlier.

Revenue for the Dodgeville, Wisconsin, retailer climbed 4 percent to $330.5 million from $319 million.

Sales at stores open at least a year, a key gauge of a retailer’s health, rose 3.4 percent. This metric excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.

Lands’ End starts trading as public company

Sears’ Lampert seeks advice from Ford CEO Mulally

Sears may close more stores as sales remain soft