Research Topic

Michaels Companies Inc. had plenty to smile about during the 2014 holiday season -- its first holiday season since going public in June.

Net sales for the eleven-week period from Nov. 2 to Jan. 17 increased 3.5% and same-store sales increased 1.5% from the comparable prior year period. For the full fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, net sales are expected to be in the range of about $1.59 billion to $1.6 billion, with an expected increase in same-store sales ranging from 0.8% to 1.2%. Michaels expects operating income to be $286 million to $291 million.

Milwaukee – Roundy’s Inc. expects to open five new stores in fiscal 2015, including one in the first quarter. However, the grocery chain also said it expects earnings per diluted share from continuing operations of flat to -$0.05 in the first quarter and a net loss of $0.07 to $0.18 per share in the fiscal year.

New York -- Consumers are feeling bullish, buoyed by low gas prices and an improving job market. The University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index for January rose to an 11-year high of 98.2, from a final reading of 93.6 for December.

Plano, Texas – Consumers enjoyed a very discounted holiday season. According to a new survey from Alliance Data Survey, there was a 12% increase in the number of consumers saving on holiday purchases using rewards, discount offers and coupons.

Retailers already knew they had work to do to better meet online shoppers’ expectations, just maybe not as much as revealed by new research from IBM.

Redwood Shores, Calif. – Retailers are sometimes accused of being laggards when it comes to technology and process adoption, but that does not appear to be the case when it comes to marketing. To assess marketing maturity across industries and demonstrate the business impact of modern marketing best practices, Oracle commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a global study of marketing decision-makers.

New York -- In today's data-filled world, many retailers are missing some of the most basic — and important — metrics of all: store data and conversion rates. Join this Chain Store Age Webinar on Jan. 29, 2 p.m. (EST), and learn how the insights gained from this data can give companies an edge in today's hypercompetive, omnichannel retail environment.

Walmart is supporting a trio of professional anglers on the competitive fishing circuit this year in an ongoing effort to align itself with sport that resonates with the retailer’s core customers.

The roster of talent Walmart is supporting this year includes 16 year Walmart FLW Tour veteran Mark Rose, 18 year veteran David Dudley and newcomer Nicole Jacobs.