Sales & Marketing

New Albany, Ohio – Abercrombie & Fitch is using a consumer-driven predictive analytics solution from First Insight Inc. to help the retailer make faster and more accurate design, buying and pricing decisions, thereby reducing markdowns and mitigating risks associated with new product introductions.

Sionic Mobile, an m-commerce company that provides mobile gifting, payments and rewards, has added William Mills, CEO of William Mills Agency, to its advisory board of directors. Mills has more than 30 years of financial marketing and branding expertise.

Woonsocket, R.I. – The Feb. 5 decision by CVS to stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products by October 2014 reportedly created a large volume of related discussion on social media. According to analysis from social media analysis technology provider Crimson Hexagon, as of 6 p.m. on Feb. 5, there were more than 139,000 total posts on Twitter (92% of the conversation) and public Facebook (8% of the conversation) posts mentioning CVS.

As if the retail industry weren’t challenging enough, those operating stores in California are facing a growing number of lawsuits related to an operational consideration known as suitable seating.

Belmont, Calif. -- SunEdison, a solar technology manufacturer and provider of solar energy services, announced the completion of a 306 kW DC (direct current) solar system for Whole Foods Market in Brooklyn, N.Y.

SunEdison designed the system using an innovative parking canopy structure that collects rainwater while protecting customers from the elements. The two companies have worked together since 2004 and have jointly deployed 1.5 MW (megawatts) of solar projects.

The weather posed a significant challenge for Fred’s in January. According to CEO Bruce A. Efird, Mother Nature not only disrupted consumer shopping patterns, but also resulted in more than 120 store closings during the final week of the month.

“Prior to the last week of January, sales were running in the mid-range of our forecast, with reconfiguration departments leading the way,” Efird explained.

Fred's total sales for January were $134.8 million compared with $173.5 million for the five-week year-earlier period.

New York — Juice press has announced plans to open five new locations in New York City in the spring and summer of this year. The locations include Chinatown, Tribeca, Midtown, Bridgehampton and the World Financial Center.

The new locations will bring the juice press total to 19.