Consumer Analytics

San Jose, Calif. – This winter has not only frozen roads and roofs, but also had a chilling effect on retail sales. According to the monthly Retail Performance Pulse from RetailNext, there was a 10.4% year-over-year decrease in sales on a 12.5% decline in traffic at brick-and-mortar stores for the retail month of February (Feb. 1-28).

Modesto, Calif. -- Lucky and Save Mart announced the launch of a rewards program driven by an integrated smartphone platform targeted to fit into the busy lifestyle of today’s shopper.

Named appropriately for each banner, Save Mart shoppers can start using the “Save Smart” program starting March 4 at stores throughout Sacramento, the Central Valley and Reno. “Lucky You” will launch in Bay Area Lucky stores on March 18.

Pleasanton, Calif. - Blackhawk Network Inc., a prepaid and payments network, has expanded its digital services platform. The digital services platform is now enabled with exchange services, which allows users to instantly sell their retail, restaurant and a variety of other brands' gift cards.  

New York – Online wedding retailer and services provider The Knot is relaunching a mobile-first e-commerce site designed to seamlessly engage, match and connect couples with the right local vendors, products and services they need for their wedding. The Knot reimagined the site from the ground up, leveraging learnings built on the success of its mobile apps, with mobile now accounting for more than 50% of the brand's traffic.

Improved customer service programs and a better store experience helped regional grocery chain Weis Markets post a jump in same store sales for the fourth quarter.

The Sunbury, Pa.-based food retailer reported that its fourth quarter same store sales increased 3.5%, while its net sales increased 4% to $713.8 million. During the 13-week period ending Dec. 27, the company's earnings per share totaled 51 cents compared to 59 cents for the same period in 2013. The company's fourth quarter net income declined 11.6% to $13.9 million.

Target is trying to increase its appeal with Hispanic shoppers by launching a new marketing campaign focusing on customs that are unique to many Latino communities.

The campaign, called “Sin traduccion,” or “No translation,” will feature two television ads, as well as digital and in-store components.

According to Ad Age, the campaign is meant to be a celebration of moments, traditions and emotions that are treasured by many in the Hispanic culture and spark a larger conversation with the community.

Retailers often use in-store beacons to push promotions to customer mobile phones as they pass by. But video game retailer GameStop Corp., which operates more than 4,200 U.S. stores, takes a different approach.

“In the store, we have multiple pieces signage marking the location of beacons,” said Charlie Larkin, senior director of GameStop Technology Institute, the retailer’s in-house IT development center. “There are seven to 14 beacons across different zones of the store, depending on store size.”

Publix, Aldi and H-E-B now share something else besides operating in the grocery sector: They all do a stupendous job of serving their customers.

According to a study of 10,000 U.S consumers, the three supermarket chains earned the highest scores in the 2015 Temkin Experience Ratings. The list ranks 293 companies across 20 industries.

Joining those firms in the top 12 spots are retailers Chick-fil-A, PetSmart, Amazon.com, Trader Joe's, Papa John's, Walgreens, and Hannaford's.