Business Intelligence (BI)

Ankey, Ohio -- Casey's General Stores Inc. reported that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell short of expectations due to weak margins on gasoline sales.

The convenience store operator said that it earned $23.1 million for the quarter that ended April 30, up from $22.8 million last year. Revenue increased 13% to $1.75 billion.

Casey's said that its gas margins were down nearly two cents per gallon compared with last year. However, the company said it was able offset that with strong sales and margin gains inside its stores.

Sidney, Neb. -- Cabela's Inc. announced that, effective January 1, 2013, Joseph M. Friebe, executive VP and president and CEO of the chain’s World’s Foremost Bank, will transition from his current positions and will become a special advisor to the CEO of the bank through 2014, when he plans to retire.

“Under Joe’s leadership, the Cabela’s Club Visa program has posted industry-leading results, which have contributed greatly to our strategic growth,” said Tommy Millner, Cabela's CEO.

Atlanta -- A report released Monday by First Data Corp. found that same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EPT cards and checks at U.S. retail locations rose 7% year-over-year. April’s growth was 5.7%.

The First Data SpendTrend analysis for the full month of May 2012 showed that, although consumers continued to spend at a healthy clip early in the month, activity did slow as the month progressed. Transaction growth in May held fairly steady at 5.9%.

Speaking at The Home Depot’s 2012 Investor and Analyst Conference in Atlanta, Home Depot EVP merchandising Craig Menear revved up the power tool rhetoric.

Menear said the company intends to defend its position as power tool market share leader.

He also described power tools as a category with a relatively high vulnerability to online competitors. One of the best defenses is a large fleet.

New York -- By the summer 2012, Best Buy Canada will start rolling out mobile point-of-sale (POS) in select Future Shop and Best Buy pilot store locations.

By Stephen J. Pargeter, [email protected]

By William Gindlesperger, [email protected]

Innovation is required if the United States is to regain the level of productivity that it enjoyed toward the end of the 19th Century through the mid-20th Century. However, innovation by itself is not enough. Just as our parents and grandparents adopted electricity, the automobile, credit cards and airplanes in the period from 1870-1950, businesses and organizations of the 21st Century must embrace change.

Chicago -- Charming Charlie said Tuesday it has selected ShopperTrak to measure, analyze and deliver store-performance data for its nearly 200 locations.

ShopperTrak's Managed Service, which provides access to secure and anonymous foot-traffic data and actionable analyses, is currently being installed in all Charming Charlie stores and will continue through November 2012.

Walmart shareholders may wish the company were investigated more often, judging from the performance of shares since alleged violations by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act first surfaced.

Walmart share’s closed Friday at $65.55, or 5% higher than the $62.45 price they were trading at on Friday, April 20 before The New York Times first reported on allegations of FCPA violations.

Walmart’s strategy of every day low prices underpinned by an every day low cost operating model will work everywhere in the world, according to international division president and CEO Doug McMillon.

Responding to a question about improving international financial returns, McMillon weighed in on the need to deliver on the strategy of every day low prices on a broad assortment and how that is the right approach internationally in large format stores.