Data & Analytics

Top 10 Stories of the Year: Mid-Year Update
Having passed the calendar’s mid-point, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the top 10 most-viewed stories of the year (to date) on Chainstoreage.com.

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Three Ways Pinterest ‘Pins’ Illustrate Omnichannel Disruption
Pinterest is rolling out its “Buyable Pins” feature, which allow consumers to purchase items directly from Pinterest visual displays, to users of its iPhone and iPad apps. This gives retailers a new avenue to engage digital consumers, while e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, Google and even Wal-Mart Marketplace have a new competitor.

Baker Katz acquires Houston property; retail addition planned

Houston -- Houston-based Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, announced the acquisition of a 2.12-acre property with an existing 13,000-sq.-ft. office building located near the cross streets of U.S. Highway 59 N and West Little York Road in Houston.
Merger costs take toll on Family Dollar Q3 profits

Matthews, N.C. – The pending merger with Dollar Tree Inc. took a toll on Family Dollar’s profits in the third quarter.

Expenses related to the merger drove Family Dollar’s net income down 1.5% to $79.9 million from $81.1 million the year-ago period, below Wall Street expectations.
PayPal is in the money with new acquisition

San Jose, Calif. – PayPal Inc. is getting itself “in the money” with a major acquisition as the company prepares for its impending July 17 split from eBay Inc.

PayPal will purchase digital money transfer service Xoom Corp. for $25 per share in cash, or about $890 million.
Tech Guest Viewpoint: Providing a seamless customer experience

It is no secret that the retail landscape has – and is – rapidly evolving, in large part due to the explosive growth of mobile. While it is certainly common now for retailers to have an online presence, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all catering to the complex needs of today’s shoppers.
The Lone Star Statement

It might seem counterintuitive to suggest that Houston, the nation’s fourth most populous city, is ever in danger of being overlooked, but the reality is that, for a long time, this rapidly growing Texas metropolis has frequently not been thought about in the same category as its peers. That is changing, however, and in many ways Houston has become that gateway market it has always longed to be. With the kind of population growth the city has been experiencing, population projections of 8 million - 9 million people in the not-too-distant future do not seem too far-fetched.
Best Buy gets techie with Samsung

Best Buy is putting a spotlight on the way technology is impacting home appliances.
P&G veteran joins QVC finance team

QVC has named a Procter & Gamble veteran as its next business planning and analysis chief, as the company looks tomaximize efficiencies and organizational synergy.
P&G veteran joins QVC finance team

QVC has named a Procter & Gamble veteran as its next business planning and analysis chief, as the company looks to maximize efficiencies and organizational synergy.
Better late than never, Whole Foods apologizes

After initially quibbling with an investigation that found instances of incorrectly priced products at stores in New York, Whole Foods co-CEOs, Walter Robb and John Mackey offered a mea culpa in a YouTube video.

The nearly two minute video appeared on Whole Foods YouTube channel on July 1, eight days after the New York Daily News first published an article based on an investigation by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA).
No more crappy gifts is new site’s mission

A recently launched gifting Web site with a familiar sounding name promises to make it better to receive than give a gift.

The recently launched Web site GiftStarter – not Kickstarter – claims to be reinventing the gifting business so that family members, friends and co-workers are able to co-mingle individual budgets to offer recipients a more substantial gift.