Business Analytics

The nation’s leading automotive retailer ended its most recent fiscal year the same way it has for the past nine years – with double-digit profit growth and a favorable outlook for the coming year.

Steinmart didn’t admit wrongdoing and the Securities and Exchange Commission didn’t bring any charges, but concluding a nearly five year old accounting investigation still cost the company $800,000.

An $800,000 fine may not sound like much to retailers with annual sales in the billions, but Steinmart is relatively small, generating sales of $311 million from 269 stores in the second quarter. An $800,000 fine represents 20% of the company’s net income for the period.

Gelson’s Markets, which operates 18 full-service specialty grocery stores in Southern California, is supporting ambitious growth plans with a back-end technology upgrade. Gelson’s will implement JDA space and category management solutions to increase the efficiency and automation of its planning activities.

When it comes to e-commerce, consumers aren’t afraid to do a little homework.

According to the 2015 Digital Consumer Preferences Survey from digital commerce solution provider BrandShop, 96% of consumers feel research is a crucial step in making an e-commerce purchase.

Almost six in 10 (58%) respondents start their product search on Google, and 22% go directly a brand’s website. Third-party retailers such as Amazon came in third with 14% usage.

Edens and Montgomery County Maryland announced the redevelopment of Burtonsville Crossing and the adjacent park-and-ride lot located in Burtonsville, Maryland.

In 2014, Edens was selected by Montgomery County to develop the adjacent surface parking lot while continuing to provide commuter parking at this strategic location.

New York -- Learn how Saks Fifth Avenue used data as the foundation for its energy efficiency initiatives at a Webinar on Thursday, September 24, 2015, at 2 p.m. (EST).  

Gary Levitan, senior manager of energy and utilities for Hudson’s Bay Company, parent of Saks Fifth Avenue, will explain how Saks used data — and how it efficiently identified and leveraged the right data — to make the business case for an efficiency initiative that drove the following benefits:   

Mobile marketing platform provider OtherLevels has some advice for retailers looking to looking boost usage rates of their consumer apps.

According to the company’s “2015 Mobile Retail Messaging Study,” regular mobile messaging can increase consumer usage of retail apps.

San Francisco – Marketers and consumers are both discovering mobile apps in a big way.

According to the second Mobile App Advertising Trends Report from marketing technology provider Kenshoo, marketers increased their investment in mobile apps 293% in June 2015, compared to the same period a year earlier.

This increased investment followed a 346% increase consumer mobile app installs and 32% increase in click-to-install rate.

Toys”R”Us says a planned decrease in promotions led the retailer to report a drop in same store sales in the second quarter.

The retailer singled out declines in the baby, entertainment and seasonal categories as contributing to the comp drop as well.However new CEO Dave Brandon sounded a positive tone regarding the company’s profit potential.

Vancouver – Despite a healthy increase in net revenue, net income slipped at Lululemon Athletica during the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

Net income dropped 2% to $47.67 million from $48.75 million, with higher costs and expenses driving down profits.

Net revenue grew 16% to $453.01 million from $390.7 million, aided by an 11% increase in total comparable sales. This encompassed a 6% increase in same-store sales and 35% increase in direct-to-consumer sales.