Williams-Sonoma’s Sales Inch Up

| MCM staff

Net revenue for San Francisco-based home products cataloger/retailer Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) increased 4.1%, to $859.4 million for the second quarter ended July 29.

Home Depot Supply Deal Done–Finally

| Mark Del Franco

If you need further proof that the dismal housing market is hurting the catalog/retail industry, Home Depot this week finally sold its business-to-business division to three private equity firms

AJ Prindle Sold to Private Investment Firm

| Tim Parry

AJ Prindle & Co., a multichannel business-to-consumer retailer of automotive accessories and a provider of incentive purchase programs to auto manufacturers and their dealer groups, was purchased Aug. 20 by Buffalo, NY-based private investment firm Banyan Enterprises.

Scrip Buys New Life Systems

| Mark Del Franco

Looking to bolster its presence in the spa and wellness market, Scrip Companies acquired New Life Systems, a manufacturer and catalog distributor of massage and spa products on Aug. 17. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Direct Sales Fuel Staples’ 2Q

| MCM staff

Total sales at Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) increased 11% to $4.3 billion compared to the second quarter of 2006, the company announced Aug. 21. Net income for the Framingham, MA-based merchant rose 11% year over year to $179 million, and earnings per share, on a diluted basis, increased 14% to 25 cents, from the 22 cents achieved in the second quarter of last year.