Data & Analytics

Minneapolis -- Target.com’s coupon distribution page — coupons.target.com - achieved the highest total average daily visits through the first half of 2013, according to an analysis by Kantar Media Marx. This is almost double the number of average daily visits to other key retail websites tracked by Kantar Media Marx.

Gap, Pa. -- Urban Outfitters has awarded Vanderlande Industries a design and build contract for the automated material handling system at their new fulfillment center located in Gap, Pa. The new one million-sq-ft. facility will service their direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels. Urban Outfitters has also contracted Vanderlande’s Customer Services to provide monthly preventative operations and maintenance services.

Many retailers are no doubt entering Thanksgiving week with trepidation at the prospect of keeping all systems go during what has become a six-day frenzy of “Black Friday” activity that now runs from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to the Monday after. But retailers actually have quite a bit to be thankful for in the world of IT. Let’s raise an imaginary glass of homemade cider and give thanks for a few helpful technology developments:

Cloud Technology

Foster City, Calif. – Although many retailers will be open for business Thanksgiving, they may wind up angering more consumers than they please. According to a new survey conducted by Prosper Insights for Visa, 62% of more than 4,600 adult U.S. consumers said they would not shop on and are opposed to shopping on Thanksgiving.

Nearly nine-in-10 (86%) working consumers plan to spend at least some time shopping or browsing online for gifts during work hours this Cyber Monday. A new RetailMeNot retail trends report also shows that 25% of working Americans plan to actually spend four hours or more shopping online for gifts during work hours that day.

Los Angeles -- Black Friday shoppers are looking to extend the Black Friday experience as much as possible. According to new survey results from PriceGrabber, 24% of Black Friday shoppers plan to start shopping on the evening of Thanksgiving. When asked if they plan to take advantage of extended hours during the weekend, 57% said they plan to do so.

The buzzwords abound — integrated retail, e-commerce — and consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable using these words. No matter what you call it, they are looking for and expecting the same thing: a seamless online to in-store or in-store to online experience.  

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney will no longer be included on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.  

Dow Jones Indices, which manages the S&P 500 as well as many other financial indices, said on Nov. 22 that Allegion, an Ireland-based provider of mechanical and electronic security products, will replace Penney on the S&P 500. Penney will join the S&P MidCap 400. The change will become effective after the stock market closes on Nov. 29.