Sales & Marketing

Framingham, Mass. – The TJX Companies Inc. showed value to its investors in a strong second quarter of fiscal 2016 where it beat Wall street expectations for both profit and sales. The elimination of a debt extinguishment loss and lower interest expenses helped push net income up 6% to $549.33 million, from $517.62 million the same period the prior fiscal year.

New York – Amazon.com provides a customer value proposition of convenience and the lowest prices. According to new analysis from managed analytics provider Ugam, competitors at least have a chance to beat Amazon on prices of some items.

Ugam conducted assortment intelligence analysis of two key sporting goods categories, identifying gaps in Amazon’s merchandising assortment and confirming that the retail giant doesn’t always have the lowest price on the most sought-after products.
 

Winston-Salem, N.C. - Lowes Foods, a Carolinas-based grocer with locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, is feeding consumer appetite for omnichannel experiences. Lowes is working with omnichannel commerce solutions provider Unata to deliver enhanced omnichannel services at its 60 Lowes Foods-To-Go stores.

Los Angeles – American Apparel Inc., which warned shareholders of poor second quarter results last week, had more bad news this week. In addition to reporting growing net loss and shrinking net sales in a tough second quarter of fiscal 2015, American Apparel said it does not currently have enough cash to last the next 12 months and shareholders may lose some or all of their investment.

As technology for LED lighting continues to improve, it is expected that LED lighting -- which is more energy efficient, lasts longer and has a significantly lower cost of operation -- will completely replace traditional fluorescent and HID lighting technologies. The LED lighting market is anticipated to grow 45% per year though 2020, and is expected to reach a market size of over $60 billion dollars.

A new study seems to support the theory that holiday shopping is often starting earlier than commonly thought, especially online.

New York – Organized crime groups targeting retail have a new opponent. Multiple retailers and law enforcement agencies across multiple locations and jurisdictions are banding together to form the Retail Organized Crime Coalition (ROCC).

The ROCC, which will officially launch and introduce its members at the Retail Fraud – New York conference on Sept. 24, will combat chronic retail organized crime through case referrals, education and the distribution of timely intelligence.