Data & Analytics

CBRE airs retail innovation videos
CBRE’s Melina Cordero, an expert in consumer behavior, has produced a series of videos to instruct brick-and-mortar retailers in how to get more results at the point-of-sale. The first three of these can be viewed on CBRE’s new retail innovation website.
Top four items on retail tech wish list
Self-checkout technology tops the list of items that IT professionals would like to see in use over the next year, according to a poll by CompCom. “It’s perhaps not surprising to see self-checkout rise to the top in the poll, since paying for purchases is probably the least pleasurable part of the shopping experience, and making the process as quick and easy as possible is increasingly important to retailers," said Tom Alvey, senior VP, retail solutions group at CompuCom.

New Nordstrom board member could bolster innovation

A luxury retail giant just made a move that could step up its digital efforts. Nordstrom appointed Stacy Brown-Philpot to its board of directors, and she will also serve as a member of the board’s finance and technology committees. She replaces Enrique 'Rick' Hernandez, Jr., who announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking re-election.
Twitter features fun — not transactional — bot program

A social media giant is getting in on the chatbot wave. Twitter launched a new, customizable Direct Message Card that brands can use to promote and share bots and other customer experiences built in its Direct Messages tool. Direct Messages helps companies create personalized ads and interactions — ranging from customer acquisition programs to engaging bots.
Williams-Sonoma tops estimates

Williams-Sonoma Inc. on Wednesday reported better-than-expected quarterly results, fueled by a strong performance at its millennial-targeted West Elm division. The home furnishings retailer's first-quarter earnings were $39.6 million, or 45 cents a share, compared with $39.6 million, or 44 cents a share, in the year-ago period. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 51 cents a share. Analysts had forecast earnings of 49 cents a share.
Struggling department store retailer strikes debt, pension obligations deals

Sears Holdings Corp. has bought itself a little more time with regard to the maturity of some debt. It also has offloaded some of pension liability. The retailer announced on Tuesday it has reached an agreement to repay $100 million of its secured $500 million loan facility at its original maturity in July, and extend the remaining amount until January 2018. The agreement includes an option to extend the maturity for an additional six months, to July 2018.
DSW turns in mixed performance

Footwear retailer DSW Inc. fell short on earnings in its first quarter, even as it topped sales estimates. Net income fell to $23 million, or 28 cents per share, below analyst expectations, from $30.0 million, or 36 cents a share, in the year-ago period. The company incurred pre-tax charges of $4.1 million, related to its acquisition of Ebuys, restructuring costs and foreign exchange loss assumed in the process of pre-funding the upcoming Town Shoes acquisition.
J.C. Penney hires Lowe's exec as new marketing head

A former Lowe's executive whose resume includes a 16-year stint at Stapes has joined the executive leadership team at J.C. Penney. Penney said Marci Grebstein will join the company as executive VP, chief marketing officer, in June. Grebstein succeeds Mary Beth West who stepped down as Penney's marketing head on April 1, 2017, after two years on the job, and went on to join The Hershey Company.
Walmart making big investment in Florida

Walmart is expanding—and updating—its footprint in the Sunshine State. The retailer will open nine new stores across Florida in its current fiscal year, creating more than 800 jobs, and also execute a multi-million-dollar capital investment plan by remodeling more than 40 locations across the state. Walmart currently operates 375 stores in Florida.
Study: Loyalty program experiences falling short

Despite increasing loyalty program membership enrollments, retailers continue to miss opportunities to satisfy shoppers. Brands continue to invest more in loyalty programs, and enrollment has grown by 31% over the last four years. However, retailers are overlooking opportunities that will drive business results, according to “The Loyalty Report 2017.”
Study: Email, not Facebook, drives consumer engagement among brands

Despite social media’s growing presence in many consumers’ lives, it is not the ideal platform for brand interaction. That's according to the “2017 Generational Marketing Insights Survey,” from Campaigner, the email marketing brand of j2 Global. According to findings, less than a quarter (24%) of online shoppers use social media as one of their preferred channels for brand interaction. And it seems that not all social media channels are created equal.
Target makes history with data breach settlement

Target Corp. has resolved its 2013 data breach with a deal that represents the largest multi-state data breach settlement in history. The retailer agreed to pay a total of $18.5 million to settle the case. The money will go to 47 states and the District of Columbia, with California receiving the largest share of the settlement, more than $1.4 million.