Data & Analytics

Criminals have reportedly been targeting some Walmart stores with credit card skimming devices illicitly placed on POS terminals.

According to the Krebs on Security blog, the skimmers are designed to overlay legitimate self-payment card readers manufactured by Ingenico and have been found at Walmart locations in Fredericksburg, Virginia and Fort Wright, Kentucky.
 

Specialty outdoor retailer Cabela’s Inc. is deploying POS hardware and software from Ingenico Group to make the final step of the in-store shopping process as safe and seamless as possible.

Sidney, Nebraska-based Cabela’s is using Ingenico ISC Touch 250 smart terminals at its 80-plus U.S. and Canadian stores. The POS stations offer a full range of upselling/cross-selling capabilities, such as the ability to display digital advertisements, videos and gift card promotions.

Retailers will be excited by the prospect of employees that are never late and don’t need to take breaks or even be paid, but will customers accept them?
 

Despite improved net sales, DSW Inc. saw net earnings decline substantially during the first quarter of fiscal 2017.
 
The footwear retailer reported net income of $30.01 million, down 37% from $47.37 million in the prior year quarter. Growing cost of sales and operating expenses, as well as a pretax expense from the February purchase of online footwear retailer Ebuys Inc., cut into profit even as net sales rose 4% to $681.27 million, from $655.47 million. Ebuys contributed $15.1 million in net sales.
 

Each year, Chain Store Age compiles a ranking of the fastest growing property managers based on the square footage added. See who topped this year’s list.
 
The 27th annual survey of Fastest-Growing Managers tallies new domestic and international third-party management and leasing contracts obtained during the 2015 calendar year and ranks the top performers. As always, the measuring stick is square footage. This year’s fastest-growing third-party managers are taking many roads to growth, from acquisition to a multidisciplinary focus.

The nation’s leading auto parts retailer produced modest sales and profit growth during its third quarter but managed to achieve double digit earnings per share growth thanks to stock buyback activity.

AutoZone sales increased 4% to $2.6 billion during the quarter ended May 7, thanks to the addition of new stores and a 2% same-store sales increase. Net income increased 6% to $327.5 million, while earning per share increased 12.6% to $10.77 as the company spent $533 million to repurchase 687,000 shares.

The store is making a comeback. Even online pure plays are laying down bricks and mortar, setting up “shop-in-shop” stores and large flagships to keep pace in the multichannel world.
 

Increases in cost of sales, operating expenses and depreciation resulted in net income dropping at Kirkland’s Inc. during a generally disappointing first quarter of fiscal 2016.
 
The specialty home décor chain’s net income totaled $916 million, down 64% from $2.53 billion in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. Net sales rose 10% to $129.91 million from $118.31 million, below expectations. Same-store sales edged up 0.5%.