Loyalty Marketing

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie president, chairman and CEO Peter Lynch expressed confidence in the grocer as it heads into its fourth quarter, maintaining that the grocer's estimated adjusted EBITDA will come in at the lower end of the $100 million to $130 million range for fiscal 2011, a 52-week period ending June 29, in light of relatively flat third-quarter results.

Houston -- The Men's Wearhouse surprised more than 14,000 employees with pizza delivery to every store across North America. To thank employees for their hard work and dedication, more than 42,400 slices of pizza were delivered to more than 1,200 Men’s Wearhouse, MW Cleaners, and K&G Fashion Superstore locations in the United States and Moores Clothing for Men stores in Canada.

New York City -- Retailers have plenty of challenges to overcome when it comes to shoppers using smartphones for shopping, with awkward usability (49%), credit-card security (36%) and connection speeds (31%) topping the list, according to a survey by the e-tailing group.

Target ranked 49th on a list of the nation’s 100 largest online retailers based on an annual assessment conducted by the research firm ForeSee Results. The firm said that customer satisfaction with e-tailers is at an all time high with an overall median score of 78 on a scale of 100. Target scored a 78 compared with top-ranked Amazon.com at 86 and bottom ranked RueLaLa.com at 70. The company could make a major move up the ranking by this time next year as a major relaunch of Target.com is planned for this fall just as millions of shopper head online for holiday shopping.

By Paul Bridgewater, [email protected]

Consumers remain skittish. Despite recent positive economic signs, the latest Gallup U.S. consumer spending report shows that routine daily expenditures at restaurants, gas stations and online stores are still down from their 2008 highs, falling to $58 per day in January 2011, versus $97 for the same month three years earlier.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Amazon.com was the top performer in a review of the Top 100 online retailers by ForeSee Results. The annual report, Top 100 E-Retail Satisfaction Index, includes individual satisfaction scores with the 100 top e-retailers for the past seven years, allowing for comparisons over time and between companies.

By Kevin Moffitt, crossview.com

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark’s annual meeting of stockholders held Wednesday morning was an emotional and momentous occasion for the company as it marked the official retirement of Tom Ryan, former chairman and CEO, and the beginning of a new chapter as Larry Merlo takes the reigns as CEO.