Data & Analytics

The rise of e-commerce has made life increasingly difficult for shopkeepers of every size and shape. The continuing shift to online shopping, and the failure of many retailers to adapt, has pushed many retail chains into bankruptcy. Radio Shack, Wet Seal and Deb Shops are just a few once-popular merchants that have declared Chapter 11 in recent years.

Salt Lake City – Online discount retailer Overstock.com saw its second quarter profit diminished by expenses including technology spending, but still remains bullish on the upcoming release of its “cryptobond” financial encryption service.

Overstock reported net income of $1.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, down 10% from $1.9 million the same quarter a year earlier. Rising technology expenses, as well as increased expenses related to staffing and sales and marketing, drove the decrease in profit.

San Francisco – Twitter is reportedly planning to expand the pilot of its buy button feature, and not by a small amount. According to Re/code, Twitter is negotiating with e-commerce platforms including Shopify to let potentially hundreds of thousands of retailers and other businesses directly sell goods through links embedded in tweets.  

Morrisville, N.C. — While specialty jewelry retailer Charles & Colvard Inc. saw sales decline and many expenses rise in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, a sharp decrease in income tax expense allowed the retailer to reduce net loss to $4.05 million from $6.19 million in the prior-year period.

Net sales declined 5% to $7.48 million from $7.84 million.

Seattle – Online jewelry retailer Blue Nile Inc. had profit and sales results in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 that crested beyond Wall Street expectations. Net income rose 4% to $2.3 million from $2.2 million the same quarter a year earlier.

An increase in interest and other income, as well as cost of sales growth that did not match the growth pace of sales, drove the increase in net income. Net sales rose 7% to $113.69 million from $106.57 million.

San Antonio – Convenience and fuel store operator CST Brands Inc. was not able to rev up profits and sales to Wall Street expectations in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Increased total operating expenses helped drive net income down 22% to $25 million from $32 million a year earlier.

Operating revenues also fell 22%, to $2.55 million from $3.26 million. Lower per gallon selling prices for both the U.S. and Canadian retail segments, as well as a weaker Canadian dollar, negatively impacted revenues. 

Washington, D.C. — Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 3.6% in August 2015 from the same month in 2014 as retailers begin to bring in merchandise for the holiday season. According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, imports for the year are expected to be up 4.2% from 2014.

Consumers don’t see “channels.” They are time-starved and information-rich, and use technology that they carry around in their pockets and purses to find the best solutions to their lifestyle needs.

The practice in retail of creating different brand experiences in different channels has gone beyond being an inconvenience to shoppers. It is the central challenge that retailers are grappling with today.

New York — Ron Johnson’s newest venture has secured a big round of additional funding.

Enjoy Technology, the online e-commerce start-up founded by the former J.C. Penney chief and Apple store executive, announced it has secured $50 million in a round of Series B funding led by Highland Capital.

Petco is making several changes to its leadership team as the retailer focuses on key omnichannel initiatives.

The pet specialty retailer announced that CEO Jim Myers will also be taking on the role of chairman, Brad Weston has been named president, Steve Lossing has been named senior vice president of operations, and Rebecca Frechette has been named senior vice president in charge of merchandising.