Research Topic

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. reported a better-than-expected 1.2% increase in first-quarter profit as warm weather and an early Easter helped drive sales. The chain also raised its earnings forecast for the full year.

Target’s net earnings for the quarter ended April 28 were $697 million, compared with $689 million in the year-ago period.

“We’re very pleased with our first-quarter earnings, which benefited from better-than-expected sales,” Gregg Steinhafel, Target’s CEO, said in a statement.

Lewisville, Texas -- Ninety-five percent of consumers are interested in products that come with rebates and 80% of consumers actively seek out rebate, according to an annual consumer survey by Parago, the largest rebate provider in the United States.

The survey found that consumer preference for rebates versus instant discounts is growing. And while economic recovery may be on its way by the numbers, consumer sentiments around spending are still timid.

This might not come as a huge surprise, but “irrational exuberance” is unlikely to be on prominent display. What have, in the past, been lavish spending habits of RECon attendees have been diminished in recent years, and I think the 2012 event will be no exception.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples Inc. said its first-quarter net income fell 6% to $187.1 million, compared to $198.2 million a year ago, hurt by weakness abroad.

Total sales fell 1.1% to $6.1 billion. International sales, which account for roughly 20% of the company’s total revenue, dropped 8% to $1.2 billion. In the United States, Staples’ revenue was flat.
 

Charleston, S.C. -- The number of Americans delaying their shopping to Memorial Day Weekend is at an all-time high, according to findings in two reports by America's Research Group Surveys. The reports find that shoppers will approach Memorial Day in keeping with a growing trend: holding off on shopping until "big" holiday weekends.

New York -- Research by ACI Worldwide and Aite Group has identified a new group of smartphone fanatics – coined Smartphonatics – are driving demand for mobile banking and other financial services.

NEW YORK — Kohl’s, Nordstrom and Target  ranked first in their categories in a new survey by Harris Interactive. The 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend (EQ) study surveyed Americans about brands across several retail segments, revealing which brands prompted them to open their hearts—and consequently—their pocketbooks.

Atlanta -- Home Depot reported Tuesday that profit for the first quarter rose a healthy 27.5% to $1.04 billion, aided by warmer weather during the period.

Sales rose 6% to $17.81 billion from $16.8 billion, missing analysts’ forecasted $17.89 billion in revenue. The company boosted its 2012 outlook based on year-to-date performance. Same-store sales increased 5.8% in the quarter, with a strong 6.1% gain in the United States.