Data & Analytics

The CEO of Ollie’s Bargain Outlet says the company’s recent IPO contributed to another strong quarter of merchandise margin and sales growth.

For the third quarter ended Oct. 31, the value retailer said same store sales increased 3.2%. Total net sales increased 16.4% to $174.6 million. Net income increased 39.4% to $6.8 million, or $0.11 per diluted share.

Don’t be fooled by Costco’s tepid sales growth and first quarter profit decline. The company is accelerating expansion and pursuing some intriguing digital partnerships while members continue to renew at record rates.

When it comes to promoting high-end retail and product brands on social media, different platforms suit different companies.

According to new research from Engagement Labs, on Facebook, high-end shoe brand Christian Louboutin ranked first with the highest overall proprietary “eValue” social media measurement score, as well as the highest engagement and responsiveness scores among luxury brands studied.

While same-store sales at Dollar General and Dollar Tree have decelerated of late, that is not the case with Canada’s largest dollar store operator which recently opened its 1,000th location.

PGA Tour Superstore in 2016 will open its fourth store in the state of Arizona, in Tucson. Additional 2016 openings are to be announced.

The retailer will open a 25,000-sq.-ft. store at the Tucson Fiesta Shopping Center. The store will have multiple state-of-the-art swing simulators, practice hitting bays, a large putting green and an in-house club making and repair facility to provide a unique, interactive experience to golf enthusiasts of all levels.

Consumers are increasingly using their mobile phones for one specific retail-related purpose.

According to the Deloitte 2015 Global Mobile Consumer Survey, the use of mobile devices to make in-store payments has nearly quadrupled in the past year. In-store mobile payments have increased from 5% of total in-store payments 2014 to 18% in 2015.

Women’s lifestyle brand and retailer Vera Bradley is the latest company to feel the negative sales effects of weaning shoppers off promotions, but the strategic shift has done wonders for the company’s bottom line.

What kinds of searches, ads and content are consumers interacting with before and after a tech purchase?

Purch, a digital content and commerce company, and comScore examined more than 3,000 qualifying purchases during a 90-day period to track key influences and behaviors of U.S consumers before, during and after a technology purchase. Purchases tracked include popular products such as mobile devices, tablets and wearables from top online retailers and brands.

Retailers looking to boost in-store redemption rates for coupons should consider implementing a particular leading edge technology.

A new study from Juniper Research, “Mobile & Online Coupons: Redemption, Loyalty & Consumer Engagement 2015-2020,” has found that nearly 1.6 billion coupons will be delivered annually to consumers via beacon technology by 2020, up more than 10 times from 11 million in 2015.

In-store analytics solutions continue to gain momentum as retailers analyze a variety of store performance measures such as shopper activity maps, display effectiveness, and customer dwell time. These analytics have provided incredible insight for corporate and store management.