Data & Analytics

Hhgregg makes executive moves
Hhgregg announced several key executive appointments. The news comes on the heels of the appointment of interim CEO Robert Riesbeck as permanent chief of the consumer electronics and appliance retailer. The moves include the promotion of former VP of marketing and nine-year company veteran Chris Sutton to senior VP of marketing, with oversight for all marketing initiatives as well as Hhgregg’s growing e-commerce channel. Sutton previously worked in advertising and brand marketing for The Walt Disney Company.
Analysis: Walmart/Jet.com partnership has many positives
Just as Amazon transformed e-commerce through its convenience, assortment and ease of use, look for the pairing of Jet.com and Walmart to introduce additional completion in the online shopping space that will give more options to consumers. Both companies stand to gain exposure to more and different customers as well as benefits in terms of service, delivery, and technological enhancements.

A digital first for Lowes Foods

Lowes Foods is the first supermarket retailer to launch an integrated digital coupon solution. Lowes is using a solution developed by Unata, a provider of one-to-one digital solutions for grocers, and Inmar, a technology and analytics company, which integrates digital coupons directly into the grocer’s e-commerce and e-circular programs.
Supermarket chain down under upgrading checkout experience

Coles Supermarkets, one of Australia’s largest supermarket retailers, is deploying a new solution to improve customer checkout experiences and operational efficiency. The retailer is adding NCR’s RealPOS XR8 as its future POS terminals. Coles also plans to upgrade more than 4,000 POS units in the next financial year.
Wal-Mart buying Jet.com for $3 billion

Wal-Mart Stores announced it will acquire retail start-up — and would-be Amazon rival — Jet.com for approximately $3 billion in cash. Additionally, $300 million of Walmart shares will be paid over time as part of the transaction. The deal will go a long way to helping Walmart expand its e-commerce growth and customer reach, and also give it more firing power as it competes with Amazon. And Jet.com’s popularity with millennials will help the discounter attract a younger, higher-income customer.
Report: Walmart testing new employee scheduling system

Walmart is testing a new scheduling system designed to improve peak-hour scheduling and gives its employees more certainty about their job schedules, the Associated Press reported. The system was rolled out to the chain’s 650 Neighborhood Market stores in July, and could eventually be deployed across Walmart’s entire U.S. store network, according to the report.
Dollar Tree cutting jobs as part of corporate restructuring

Dollar Tree will eliminate some 370 positions as part of a corporate restructuring related to its acquisition of Family Dollar last year. The cuts, which include 100 vacant positions at its Family Dollar store support center in Matthews, North Carolina, are part of the chain’s ongoing efforts to integrate its support functions through a shared services model.
HSN taps moves c-suite exec to anchor Cornerstone division

HSN’s CFO and COO is taking a new job, but she won’t have to travel far. Judy Schmeling has assumed the helm of the Cornerstone Brands division of HSN, which consists of home and apparel banners such as Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road and TravelSmith. Schmeling, who will continue to report to HSN CEO Mindy Grossman, will maintain her COO position at HSN, and she will remain CFO until a successor is appointed.
Michaels buys Hancock Fabrics brand

Michaels purchased the rights to Hancock Fabrics’ brand and intellectual property for $1.3 million from U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. The Texas-based crafts retailer takes possession of its ex-rival’s patents and trademarks, as well as its name. Personal and transactional data from 10 million Hancock customers was included in the deal, according to the Memphis Business Journal.
HSN moves c-suite exec to anchor Cornerstone division

HSN’s CFO and COO is taking a new job, but she won’t have to travel far. Judy Schmeling has assumed the helm of the Cornerstone Brands division of HSN, which consists of home and apparel banners such as Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road and TravelSmith. Schmeling, who will continue to report to HSN CEO Mindy Grossman, will maintain her COO position at HSN, and she will remain CFO until a successor is appointed.
Cato records dip in July total sales and comps

The Cato Corp. reported sales of $61.2 million for the four weeks ended July 30, down 8% from the same period a year ago. Same-store sales for the month were down 10% from the prior year. On a quarterly basis, Cato sales for the second quarter fell 5% to $236.7 million, compared to $249.2 million a year ago. Second quarter same-store sales were down 6% from the prior year.
Fred’s sales take a hit in July

Fred's Inc. saw July sales drop 7% to $154 million, compared to $165.6 million in the same period last year. Comparable store sales for the month declined 4.6%, compared with an increase of 0.7% in the year-earlier period. Fred's total sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 decreased 3.4% to $527.7 million, from $546.1 million for the same period last year. On a comparable store basis, second quarter sales decreased 2% versus an increase of 0.9% for the year-earlier period.