Research Topic

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Seventy percent of retailers are empowering their employees with technology-enabled touch points to help their businesses to differentiate and evolve, according to a recent RSR Research report cosponsored by HP.

The study finds that by arming their associates with a range of technologies that provide relevant and timely information -- such as digital signage, self-service kiosks, mobile devices and advanced point-of-sale systems -- retailers can increase productivity and boost multichannel selling opportunities.

MINNEAPOLIS — Free Standing Insert coupon activity dropped 3.9% over the first six months of 2011 versus the same time period a year ago, Marx, a Kantar Media solution, reported on Wednesday. 

The decline is the first reported in the first half of the year since 2008, when there was a 3.4% decline. 

“After several years of significant growth, FSI coupon activity may be stabilizing while more integrated print and digital coupon promotion tactics are emerging,” stated Mark Nesbitt, president of Kantar Media Intelligence North America.

Retail site selection is not just a matter of available real estate. It’s an analytical challenge that requires sophisticated statistical modeling and a thorough understanding of the market potential of a location. Devon Wolfe, managing director of Americas Strategy & Analytics, Troy, N.Y.- based Pitney Bowes Business Insight, discusses the Top 10 most common mistakes that seem to repeatedly plague businesses and hinder their success:

1. Assuming you can build a model for all situations

Dallas -- Tuesday Morning Corp. reported Wednesday that revenue for the quarter ended June 30 declined 3% to $194.8 million, compared with $200.8 million in the year-ago period.

Same-store sales dropped 4.5% in the quarter.

The closeout retailer cut its guidance for the year.

For the full year, revenue dipped almost 1% to $821.3 million. Same-store sales fell 1.2%.
 

New York City -- An overwhelming majority (72%) of retailers report having a “great deal” of cash on their balance sheets and nearly half of them plan to invest some of it on information technology going forward, according to a survey by KPMG. At the same time, the executives’ assessment of the overall business outlook reflects only modest improvements in revenue and hiring in 2012.

Overall, the number of inserts and pages declined slightly across the retailer set in June 2011 versus June 2010.

Major retailers dialed back the number of ads inserts and the number of pages in June when compared to the prior year, according to Market Track. Click here to view promotional activity for the 16 of the nation’s leading retailers.

New York City -- Dunkin’ Brands Group is seeking to raise as much as $460.6 million in its initial public offering, 15% more than the company planned in May, Bloomberg reported.

Dunkin’ Brands is offering 22.3 million shares for $16 to $18 each, the chain said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today. The company may sell an additional 3.33 million shares, given sufficient demand.