Sales & Marketing

Los Angeles -- A survey released Monday by PriceGrabber said that 77% of consumers who own a tablet computer use either a tablet or a smartphone to shop.

The survey includes responses from 1,829 U.S. online shopping consumers, 22% of whom indicated that they own a tablet computer.

When consumers who use their mobile devices for shopping were asked how often they make purchases from their mobile devices, 40% said a couple times a month, 23% said once a week, 20% said a few times a year, and 10% said daily.

New York -- Sprouts Farmers Market, a Phoenix-based natural-foods supermarket chain, has reached an agreement to merge with competitor, Sunflower Farmers Market, based in Boulder, Col. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The combined company will operate 139 stores in eight states under the Sprouts banner, with annual sales of approximately $2 billion. It will open about 12 new stores this year.

“Our operations are very similar," said Sprouts president Doug Sanders, who will lead the combined supermarket company.

Well, 2012 is certainly off to a wild start. While there’s been nothing quite as dramatic and earth shattering as last year’s tsunami in Japan, there are plenty of global events and outside influences affecting our industry. I’m talking about the increases we’re seeing at the gas pumps and the warmer-than-average winter we’ve been experiencing throughout the country.

NEW YORK — The iconic Macy's Herald Square flagship in New York City is getting a facelift. The company has started work on the four-year renovation of the store, which will include what it says will be the “world’s largest shoe floor,” with 300,000 pairs of shoes stepping into a new 63,000 -sq.-ft. space (retail and stock).

Boston -- New research released by Brodeur Partners uncovered that Baby Boomers and Generation Y’ers think differently about the shopping experience.

According to The Brodeur Partners’ Retail Relevance Study, Boomers see the ideal shopping experience as getting a good deal on a decent product. For Gen Y, it’s more about a stimulating, sensual, “sharable” experience.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Hibbett Sports Inc. saw its profit for the quarter ended Jan. 28 jump 27% to $15.8 million, compared with $12.5 million in the year-ago period.

 Revenue increased 10% to $190.7 million from $173.2 million, missing Wall Street’s expected $192.2 million in revenue. Same-store sales rose 7.2%.

For the full year, Hibbett reported net income of $59.1 million, up from $46.4 million last year. Revenue rose to $732.6 million, from $665 million.

New York City -- Barnes & Noble Inc. said Monday that it plans to expand an in-store pilot boutique from its current 10 units to 25.

The 200-sq.-ft. Penguin store-in-stores sell Penguin book titles and merchandise; the Penguin banner is owned by Pearson PLC.

“The sales have been incremental rather than cannibalizing Penguin sales elsewhere in the store because it’s a different experience,” John Makinson, CEO of Pearson PLC’s Penguin Group, told the Wall Street Journal.

New York -- Macy’s on Monday started work on the four-year renovation of its Herald Square flagship in New York City. In the first phase, the retailer is making over its shoe department into what it says will be the “world’s largest shoe floor,” with 300,000 pairs of shoes stepping into a new 63,000 -sq.-ft. space (retail and stock).