Data & Analytics

Wal-Mart Stores sent out a message to naysayers who say the chain’s best days are behind it.    Speaking at the Consumer Goods Forum conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillion said the retailer expects to add $45 billion to $60 billion of new sales during the next three years.  

In a new federal lawsuit, The Home Depot Inc. is accusing Visa and MasterCard of not doing enough to ensure EMV-compliant, chip-based payment cards truly prevent fraud.  

Rite Aid Corp. reported disappointing first-quarter earnings and sales results in its first quarter amid pressure on pharmacy reimbursement rates.   The chain reported a loss of $4.6 million for the quarter ended May 28, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier. Excluding certain items, adjusted net income was $14.5 million, or 1 cent per diluted share, compared with 2 cents a year earlier.   The results fell short of Wall Street expectations.   

The POS has never been the most flashy or talked-about solution in the retail IT environment.   From manual cash registers up to client/server-based terminals, the basic idea of the POS as a fixed box that takes payment in and spits receipts out stayed pretty much the same.  

The idea of Starbucks serving as a “third place” outside of home and work has been reinforced with a new add-in to Microsoft Outlook.  

The Cartwheel couponing app from Target, which launched in 2013, is getting its biggest makeover yet.   Having been used by more than 25 million customers to create a total savings of more than $500 million, Cartwheel will now offer a more personalized experience, among other upgrades.  

Photo: Colin Calvert (Left) and Caroline Pham (Right)  

When it comes to providing a satisfactory customer experience, online retailers have to deliver on their promises.   Sixty-six percent of e-commerce shoppers consider delivery a decisive factor when shopping online, according to a new study by enterprise delivery experience solution provider Convey. In addition, 70% of consumers report they are unlikely to return after a poor delivery experience.