Data & Analytics

Shoppers will take for granted that the products they buy are safe this holiday season, but behind scenes it requires a tremendous amount of effort to deliver on that expectation. Join Walmart, the Consumer Products Safety Commission and ICIX for a look at what’s next in the world of product safety during an upcoming webinar on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m., EST.

Amazon surpassed analysts’ expectations on Thursday, posting a 23% increase in revenue and its second consecutive quarterly profit. But according to a report by The Street, Amazon’s fast-growing cloud services business was the biggest story, bringing in $2.1 billion in revenue for the quarter. [The Street]

Amazon.com’s third quarter sales increased 23% to $25.4 billion and the online retailer and tech giant posted a huge improvement in profitability.

The company said operating income increased to $406 million in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, compared to an operating loss of $544 million in third quarter 2014. Net income increased to $79 million, or 17 cents a share, compared with net loss of $437 million, or 95 cents a share, the prior year.

An associate at Food Lion has been honored by the Environmental Protection Agency for his efforts to reduce the chain’s refrigerant emissions.

Nick Cordasci has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2014 Distinguished Partner Achievement Award, one of the agency's individual honors for commercial refrigeration achievements, by the GreenChill Partnership.

Product and pricing data provider 360pi is out with its take on what retailers and brands can expect this holiday season.

According to 360pi, retailers that offer real-time data, regionalized pricing and exclusive products will shine during the 2015 holiday shopping season. The firm puts more meat on the bone with its six holiday predictions, including:

Five Below is looking to generate brand awareness and traffic after selecting a new advertising agency to handle creative and media duties.

The teen and pre-teen retailer known for selling products for $5 or less chose Zimmerman Advertising, a division of Omnicon, as its agency of record and Five Below CEO Joel Anderson couldn’t be happier.

Cabela’s smaller stores are not as productive as the company would like, so the outdoor retailer is putting the brakes on new store growth while it focuses on productivity.

Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t letting lackluster sales in its most recent quarter stand in the way of store expansion.

The coffee chain, a division of Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., on Thursday said it is on track to add between 410 and 440 net new U.S. stores this year. The expansion represents greater than 5% net new locations.

Globally, the company -- which also owns Baskin-Robbins -- expects to open between 615 and 750 net new restaurants across the two brands.

Cabela’s smaller stores are not as productive as the company would like so the outdoor retailer is tapping the brakes on growth while it focuses on productivity.
 
In conjunction with the release of disappointing third quarter results and a reduced full year profit forecast, Cabela’s said it was evaluating it store expansion schedule and currently expects to open seven stores next year and no more than that in 2017.

Yesterday’s POS won’t cut it when it comes to providing a consistent experience across channels.

That’s among the findings of a study sponsored by NetSuite and conducted by RSR research, which finds that most retailers are falling short in bridging the online and in-store experience Among the main obstacles: outdated existing technology.