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Data & Analytics

  • Survey: Back-to-school means back to spending

    Parents are increasing their back-to-school budgets, although overall spending is stagnant compared to recent years.   According to a new survey of 1,830 U.S. parents of elementary through college students by Mintel, 52% of respondents plan to spend more on back-to-school (BTS) shopping than in 2015. Only 4% plan to spend less, with 44% planning to spend the same. However, overall planned BTS spending dropped to $68 billion in 2015 after ranging from $73 - $76 billion annually from 2010-2014.  

  • Report: Visa sues Walmart over alleged PIN pilot

    Wal-Mart Stores, which filed suit against Visa in May over debit card authorization, is getting taste of its own medicine.  

  • Rough seas for Pier 1

    Home décor retailer Pier 1 Imports swung to a loss in its first quarter amid heavy promotions caused by weak sales.   The chain reported a loss of $6 million for the quarter ended May 28, compared to net income of $6.9 million in the year-ago period.   Revenue fell 4.2% to $418.4 million in the quarter, also less than expected. Same-store sales were down 2.5%.  

  • It's back .... Amazon Prime Day

    Everyone knew Amazon Prime Day was coming, now we know when and how.   Amazon will host its second annual summer sales blitz, known as Prime Day, on July 12. The online giant created the mega-shopping event, aimed at members of its Prime loyalty program, last year. It was held on July 15 and marked the retailer's 20th anniversary. Amazon said the event broke sales records that it previously set during Black Friday 2014.  

  • Detecting Costly Refrigerant Leaks

    An average food retail store leaks an estimated 25% estimated of its refrigerant supply per year. The majority of refrigerant leaks, which are caused by a number of factors, occur in racks and cases. For an individual store, this loss can add up to a sizeable annual expense; for a regional or national chain, the costs can be even more substantial. Additionally, associated labor costs and the potential loss of business because of service disruptions when fixing a leak should be factored in.     

  • Target gets ‘smart’ about lighting

    Target Corp. is taking its lighting to the next level.   The retailer has entered into an agreement with Acuity Brands for Acuity to provide Target with smart lighting technologies, featuring energy saving LED fixtures and dimming controls.    Target will be installing Acuity’s next generation, smart LED sales floor fixtures, along with the lighting company’s store accent lighting and distribution center site lighting.   

  • Electronics accessories brand goes physical

    Belkin, which sells accessories for smartphones and tablets, has entered the brick-and-mortar space.   The company has opened a store newly renovated Terminal 6 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with the Hudson Group.   The store, which features a charging station, sells a variety of accessories, including chargers, cables, and screen protectors. It carries about 100 skus.  

  • Nordstrom to integrate Trunk Club ops, cut jobs

    Nordstrom Inc. plans to more closely align operations of its omnichannel Trunk Club business with the rest of the enterprise.   The luxury retailer plans to close the dedicated Trunk Club fulfillment center located on Goose Island in Chicago. With the closure, Trunk Club will integrate its operations into the Nordstrom network of fulfillment and distribution centers located across the U.S. The Goose Island facility will transition to its close by August 2017.  
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