Business Intelligence (BI)

ARMONK, N.Y. -- IBM has announced new software and the creation a new consulting practice dedicated to the emerging category of "smarter commerce," which is focused on helping companies swiftly adapt to rising customer demands in today's digitally transformed marketplace.  

New York City -- The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index, released Monday, rose in February, driven primarily by the slight improvements in real home prices and initial jobless claims, according to the company.

The Index attempts to track consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

SALISBURY, N.C. — Delhaize America is emphasizing its private-brand assortments, the supermarket conglomerate reported in its earnings release.

Delhaize said it forged ahead with its New Game Plan, which includes "important price investments," and noted that its U.S. operating companies — which include such banners as Food Lion, Bottom Dollar and Hannaford — are reinforcing their private-brand assortments through the introduction of a new value line called My Essentials.

By Dean A. Stoecker, CEO, Alteryx, LLC

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department showed that jobless claims in the United States rose by 26,000 for the week ended March 5, to 397,000.

Economists expected claims would climb to 376,000, according to a Bloomberg News survey. The total number of people receiving benefits in the prior week fell to the lowest since October 2008.

Laval, QC -- Canadian c-store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard reported Thursday that net income for its fiscal third quarter rose 29.6% to $71 million, compared with $54.8 million in the year-ago period.

Revenues rose 13.7% to $5.6 billion. Same-store merchandise sales were up 3.9% in the United States and 0.4% in Canada.
 
Alimentation Couche-Tard operates a network of 5,874 convenience stores in the United States and Canada.

Kearney, Neb. -- The Buckle reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended Jan. 29 rose to $49.5 million, compared with $42.1 million in the year-ago period.

Sales rose 10.4% to $303.1 million, from $274.4 million.

Same-store sales increased 6.3%.

For the full year, The Buckle reported that net income rose to $134.7 million from $127.3 million in 2009. Yearly sales increased 5.7% to $949.8 million, from $898.3 million. Same-store sales edged up 1.2%.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart reported Thursday that fourth quarter profit surged to $18.8 million from $2.7 million in the year-ago period. Results included an income tax benefit in fourth quarter 2010.

Revenue for the quarter ended Jan. 29 decreased 1.5% to $336.7 million, compared with $341.8 a year earlier. Same-store sales dipped 1.2%.