Business Analytics

Canada's biggest food retailer Loblaw announced it plans to close 52 unprofitable stores over the next year at the same time the company reported lackluster second quarter financial results.

Loblaw Companies has more than 2,300 stores, including Loblaws, Provigo, and Extra Foods. It also owns Shoppers Drug Mart. 

Clearwater, Fla. – Recreational boat retailer MarineMax Inc. should be floating after receiving positive fiscal results for the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income sailed 29% to $14.9 million from $11.5 million in the same period the prior year, aided by gains from sale of real estate.

Revenue grew approximately 8% to $231.8 million, compared with $214.4 million. Same-store sales increased approximately 10%.

Plymouth Minn. – Tile Shop Holdings Inc. had a successful second quarter of fiscal 2015, meeting Wall Street expectations for profit and beating them for revenue. Net income rose 20% to $4.8 million from $4 million the same period a year earlier, with higher pretax income compensation for increased expenses related to the opening of 12 new stores.

Spokane, Wash. – Automated water management solutions vendor Apana is trying to make saving water a little easier. Apana is generally releasing its cloud-based solution for commercial and industrial companies to save water and money.

Wolverine Worldwide reported profit declines for the second quarter as the retailer shaved the number of stores it plans to close to 120.

Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. is sustaining efforts to be more environmentally sound and humane in its business practices.

The grocery giant released its 2015 sustainability report, which included 33,000 tons of waste recycled at 1.061 stores in 2015, a 12% year-over-year increase.

Other highlights from the report include:

Few retailers make as big an impact on the environment as Kroger, but the high performing supermarket chain has made huge progress against sustainability priorities during the past decade and now is ready to take on a new set of goals.

The company released its 2015 Sustainability Report on July 17, which chronicles progress made during the past nine years and establishes new directional priorities.

San Jose, Calif. -- eBay is selling its enterprise business as it continues streamline operations in anticipation of its separation from PayPal Holdings Inc. on Friday.

In announcing its second quarter results, eBay said it was selling its eBay Enterprise division, which helps retailers enhance their online presence and e-commerce capabilities, to a consortium led by private equity firm Permira for $925 million.

Istanbul, Turkey – Mudo, a Turkish retailer for clothing, accessories, furniture and home decorations, operates more than 120 stores across the country and has a strong online presence. To obtain better insight into enterprise-wide transactional data, Mudo uses the SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) application, based on the SAP HANA business intelligence platform.

Chicago -- Specialty retailer Lids has selected ShopperTrak to measure in-store traffic and provide customer behavior insights for Lids and Locker Room by Lids stores.