Business Intelligence (BI)

The world’s largest social media network reported record first quarter results late Wednesday and CFO David Ebersman used the occasion to announce his departure.

Ottawa, Canada – 360pi has formally launched the 360pi Partner Program. This initiative provides a framework for retail technology providers to leverage 360pi's pricing intelligence in their solutions.

Sales of animal- and pet-related merchandise and winter seasonal items helped push up sales at Tractor Supply Co. in the first quarter ended March 29.

Net sales increased 9% in the quarter to $1.18 billion, up from $1.09 billion in the same quarter last year. Comparable-store sales increased 2.2%.

Net income for the quarter increased 10.9% to $48.8 million, up from $44 million

Greg Sandfort, president and CEO, said the first-quarter results demonstrated an ability to perform during tough weather conditions.

Franklin, Tenn. – China was the fastest-growing country in Asia during 2013 in terms of new POS terminal installed. According to a new report from IHL Group, “Asia/Pacific POS Terminal Study,” China had 12% year-over-year growth in year-over-year POS terminal installations.

The Asia/Pacific region as a whole experienced 6.5% POS terminal growth. Other findings include that uncertainty about foreign ownership of retailers slowed POS growth in India to 8% and that Vietnam was the newest hot market for new POS devices.

Waban, Mass. - The percentage of large organizations that have reached the two highest levels of customer experience maturity has grown from 6% in 2013 to 10% this year. During the same period, the percentage of companies in the lowest level of maturity has dropped from 40% to 31%, according to a new report from Temkin Group, “The State of Customer Experience Management 2014.”

Other findings include:

Atlanta - Hooters of America LLC has activated Sparkfly to enhance and streamline the capabilities of its new HootClub loyalty program. Through the relationship with Sparkfly, Hooters will gain the ability to redeem digital promotions at any location, regardless of which POS technology is used.

Paris – Lacoste has selected Manhattan Associates' Enterprise Order Management solution to orchestrate its omni-channel retail operations and facilitate the company's continued growth. With Manhattan's technology, Lacoste intends to deliver a consistent brand and unified shopping experience to its customers.

2Checkout, a global online payments provider, has appointed Shawn Budde as CEO. The hire caps a months-long executive search headed by former CEO Tom Dailey, who continues to serve on the board of directors and is an active investor in 2Checkout.