Predictive Analytics

Surging home prices and 401K balances have millions of Americans feeling better about their personal balance sheets and the state of the economy, but Walmart’s core shoppers remain under duress and that could spell trouble for second quarter sales.
 

San Jose, Calif. -- Retailers are cautiously optimistic about the 2013 holiday season, with 60% forecasting revenue growth in excess of 10%, in line with industry forecasts, according to a survey by Baynote, a provider of personalized customer experience solutions.

Camp Hill, Pa. — Rite Aid had another month of positive sales growth in July, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

Rite Aid said same-store sales for the four-week period that ended last Saturday increased by 1.3% compared with the same period last year. The increase included a 0.7% increase in front-end same-store sales and a 1.6% increase in pharmacy same-store sales. Same-store scripts increased by 0.4%. Total sales for the month were $1.898 billion, a 0.9% increase over $1.881 billion last year.

Lorton, Va. – In order to quickly detect customer service problems and quantify customer requests, Five Guys Burgers and Fries has implemented social intelligence technology from newBrandAnalytics (nBA). Using nBA solutions, Five Guys monitors social media chatter to help the company implement operational changes and improve engagement with customers. Five Guys also leverages the technology to gauge interest in potential new menu items.

Dodgeville, Wis. – Spending for back-to-school apparel looks strong this year, with more than 95% of parents willing to spend up to $100 just on an outfit for the first day of school. Results of the Lands’ End 2013 Back to School Survey also indicate 92% of parents say a backpack is the single most important back-to-school item for purchase this year.

Target’s second quarter just ended and if the dourest of back-to-school spending forecasts proves correct the company’s expectations for same-store sale growth in the range of 2% to 3% could prove optimistic and its third quarter outlook could come under pressure.

Coldwater Creek, a leading multichannel retailer of women’s apparel, jewelry and accessories, is leveraging Alliance Data Systems Corporation’s Retail Services business to expand its co-branded credit card program and launch a Coldwater Creek private-label credit card program. 

OAK BROOK, Ill. — J.C. Penney has announced plans to donate a 5,500-sq.-ft. center in the North Riverside Park Mall in North Riverside, Ill., to assist efforts of the Cook County Regional Organized Crime Task Force in combating retail organized crime. 

The center will house law enforcement offices for various police departments, government agencies and retailers for the purpose of hands-on training and collaboration.

The nation’s largest egg producer, Cal-Maine Foods, said it sold 243.3 million dozen eggs in its fourth quarter ended June 1, and moved closer to surpassing the 1 billion dozen threshold for the full fiscal year.

The 243.3 million dozen eggs sold in the fourth quarter was an increase of 6.3% from 228.8 million dozen sold in the fourth quarter the prior year. The full year total of 948.5 million dozen was a 7.3% increase from 884.3 million dozen the prior year.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — O’Reilly Automotive achieved a record quarterly gross margin of 50.8% for the second quarter ended June 30, primarily driven by improvements in acquisition costs, product mix and pricing management, according to president and CEO Greg Henslee.

The automotive aftermarket industry retailer saw sales for the quarter rise to $1.71 billion, a 10% increase from $1.56 billion for the same period one year ago. Gross profit for the second quarter was $872 million, a 12% increase from $780 million for the same period one year ago.