Retail

Abandoned carts get plenty of attention. Retailers run reports on lost revenue from abandons. Email campaigns start hitting customers as soon as an hour after they abandon. A day later, another email comes.

Targeting cart abandoners is definitely effective. Statistics show that as much as 25% of lost revenue can be regained via abandoned cart emails. But what if you didn't lose that revenue in the first place?

We'll never live in a zero abandonment world. But we can definitely limit the chances of abandonment.

Starbucks Corp. reported first quarter earnings and same-store sales that topped expectations. But the coffee giant gave a soft earnings outlook for its current quarter.

Starbucks reported better-than-expected earnings of $687.6 million for the period ended Dec. 27, 2015, down from $983.1 billion a year earlier. The prior-year period was boosted by a hefty $391 million gain related to a joint venture.

Revenue rose 12% to $5.37 billion. Analysts had forecast $5.39 billion in revenue.

As always, it seems to have blurred by before it even started, but NRF 2016 is over. As the retail industry collectively unpacks it bags, sorts through business cards and decompresses, I’d like to offer a few key trends I observed during my own three days of Big Show immersion.

As always, it seems to have blurred by before it even started, but NRF 2016 is over. As the retail industry collectively unpacks it bags, sorts through business cards and decompresses, I’d like to offer a few key trends I observed during my own three days of Big Show immersion.

Back to Basics

Consumers are increasing their use of apps for a specific purpose that should make retailers happy.

According to a new survey of U.S. adults conducted by KRC Research for Verizon, 56% of consumers made a product purchase with a smartphone app in 2015. This figure includes 23% of smartphone owners who purchased a product with an app for the first time.

By age group, 70% of millennials age 18-34 made a product purchase using an app in 2015, an 85% increase from 2014. This led 66% of Gen Xers and 39% of Baby Boomers who did so.

San Antonio, Texas -- InvenTrust Properties Corp. announced that it has acquired Sonterra Village Shopping Center, a newly constructed, 42,492 sq. ft. shopping center located in San Antonio, Texas, for approximately $21.5 million.

Modell’s Sporting Goods is playing to win when it comes to network security.

Operating more than 150 stores throughout the East Coast, New York-based Modell’s is protecting customer data and personal information residing within its infrastructure. Modell’s us using a software-based network security solution from Cyphort to actively monitor and detect suspicious activity.

If this past holiday season was any indication, American consumers can expect to receive even more email from retailers in the coming year as improved targeting has increased the efficacy of the marketing tactic.