Business Analytics

Surging sales at Old Navy helped Gap Inc. offset sales declines at its namesake division and its Banana Republic stores in March. 

Gap Inc. reported that net sales for the five-week period ended April 4 increased 1 percent to $1.53 billion compared with net sales of $1.51 billion for the five-week period ended April 5.

Chicago - Potbelly Corp. has named Michael Coyne as its new CFO, effective May 1. Coyne will oversee all financial functions and will also be charged with positively impacting Potbelly's analytical, productivity, and risk assessment capabilities.

An early Easter helped Stein Mart post an impressive 7.9% boost in same store sales for the first quarter.

Stein Mart reported sales of $244.4 million for the nine weeks ending April 4, a 10.6% increase over that period the year before. The sales growth was especially strong in March, according to the release.

The company reported $155.8 million in sales for the five weeks ending April 4, a 14.2% increase over that time the year before. Same store sales were up 11.2% for March. 

After reporting standout results for the holiday quarter, Costco had a drop in same store sales in March that the retailer blamed on the earlier-than-normal Easter holiday.

Walnut Creek, Calif. – Retailers are taking advantage of volumes of Big Data and advanced analytical technology to uncover deep insights on customer behavior. However, according to a new study from RSR Research, they may be focusing on customer behavior to an extent they overlook other valuable insights.

Matthews, N.C. – Profits slid at Family Dollar Stores Inc. during the second quarter of fiscal 2015 compared to last year, but still beat Wall Street predictions. The discounter reported net income of $76.7 million, down 18% from $90.9 million.

Seattle – A seller of posters on Amazon.com has reportedly pled guilty to antitrust charges from the U.S. Justice Department. According to Reuters, David Topkins of San Francisco conspired to manipulate the price of posters on Amazon Marketplace between September 2013 and January 2014.

Revolving doors can provide measurable ROI for retail and hospitality – way beyond the widely recognized energy savings from reduced air infiltration.  Meet Mark Perkins with Boon Edam, as he discusses revolving-door ROI, branding, the use of existing space, loss prevention and more.

Kroger is moving ahead with its strategic plan for 2015 by closing and rebranding some of its Harris Teeter stores in Tennessee, according to the Nashville Tennessean.

The four Harris Teeter stores owned and operated by the Kroger Co. in the Nashville, Tenn., area will be closing on or before June 15, the newspaper reports. Three of the stores will re-open, but under the Kroger banner. This is the first time the Kroger Co. has switched banners on a Harris Teeter store.

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