Content about Sonoma, California

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma Inc.'s fourth-quarter net income rose a better-than-expected 9%, helped by strong online sales, gains at its West Elm brand and the benefit of an extra week in the period.

The company also said it is increasing its quarterly cash dividend by 41% to 31 cents per share, and announced plans to buy back up to $750 million of its shares over the next three years.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy has hired Sharon McCollam, formerly CFO of Williams- Sonoma Inc., as CFO, beginning Dec. 10.

McCollam, 50, had been COO and CFO at the home goods retailer before retiring. She also takes the title of chief administrative officer at Best Buy.

McCollam replaces James Muehlbauer, who said he was leaving in October. Muehlbauer will continue to advise the company until the end of the fiscal year in February.

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma said Thursday it has launched a new direct-to-consumer gifts and accessories brand called Mark and Graham. The brand will debut with its own direct mail catalog and website.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma, announced that it will open a store in South Coast Plaza on Nov. 2.

The store will feature a three-sided living wall and will be the first West Elm to open with the company’s newly announced West Elm Market shop-in-shop. Through a partnership with Etsy, it will also feature a collection of decorative accessories and art made by artists from the Orange County area.

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma Inc. said its second-quarter net income rose 10%, fueled by double-digit sales growth at its Pottery Barn and West Elm stores. The results beat analysts’ expectations and the company also raised its profit and sales predictions for the full year.

For the quarter ended July 29, Williams-Sonoma earned $43.4 million, up from $39.3 million in the same period last year.

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma Inc. reported Thursday that first-quarter profit dipped to $30.7 million, from $31.6 million last year, but results topped Wall Street estimates and the retailer has raised its full-year earnings forecast.

Sales increased 6% to $817.6 million, also surpassing analysts’ estimates of $811.7 million. Same-store sales grew 5.4% overall, driven by strength from Pottery Barn (up 9.1%) and West Elm (up 22.1%).

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma Inc.’s fiscal fourth-quarter net income rose 8%, boosted by strong performances from its Pottery Barn and West Elm brands. The company also announced that COO and CFO Sharon McCollam, 48, has retired.

Although the home-furnishings retailer’s results beat Wall Street estimates, it offered fiscal 2012 earnings guidance that was slightly below what analysts expect. Its revenue forecast for the year was above analysts' estimates.

Cranston, R.I. -- The Wilder Cos. announced that Garden City Center has detailed a multi-phased strategy to expand, reconfigure and redevelop the historic shopping center.

Construction of a new 20,000-sq.-ft. building will begin an extension that will eventually turn former large-format retail space into a mix of mid-size and smaller specialty stores. Later phases include construction of several new restaurant spaces and improved traffic and pedestrian links to the Whole Foods Market section of the center.

San Francisco – Williams-Sonoma Inc. reported Thursday that profit for the third quarter rose 19% to $43.4 million, from $36.5 million in the same period last year.

Revenue rose 6% to $867.2 million, compared with $815.5 million last year and solidly beating Wall Street’s expected $855.7 million in revenue.

Same-store sales overall rose 7.3%, comprised of a 7% rise in the company’s Pottery Barn stores, a 5.2% rise at Pottery Barn Kids and a 27% surge at West Elm. Same-store sales at namesake stores were up a slight 0.1%.

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Williams Sonoma-owned home-furnishings retailer West Elm said Tuesday that it will make its Washington State debut with a new store in Seattle, slated to open Oct. 6.

The 15,000-sq.-ft. store will feature a number of unique design details, according to West Elm, including a living wall and an art installation designed specifically for the location.

Like other West Elm stores, the Seattle location is designed using green materials and includes low-energy lighting, low-VOC paints and reclaimed hardwood floors.
 

London -- A Friday report by the United Kingdom’s The Independent newspaper said that San Francisco-based Williams-Sonoma is planning a U.K. launch in 2012.

The report said that the company has appointed a U.K. retail property agent and plans to open its first store in the first half of next year.

Plans call for a London debut and the report said the retailer is seeking 5,000-sq.-ft. to 8,000-sq.-ft. spaces.
 

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended May 1 jumped 62% to $31.6 million, from $19.5 million a year earlier, topping company expectations.

Revenue rose 7.4% to $770.8 million, better than expected.

Same-store sales, which includes direct-to-consumer revenue, rose 9%. Same-store sales rose 3.1% at the namesake brand, 7.9% at Pottery Barn and a record 11% at Pottery Barn Kids.