Data & Analytics

Stage Stores shrinks loss and revenue in Q1
Houston – Stage Stores Inc. beat Wall Street expectations with a loss but missed with decidedly revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. The retailer reported net loss of $8.64 million, an improvement from a net loss of $18.79 million the same quarter a year earlier.
Nielsen: U.S. consumer confidence edges up in Q1
New York – U.S. consumers are continuing to show moderate signs of the optimism Americans are so famous for. According to the Nielsen consumer confidence index, U.S. consumer confidence increased one index point in the first quarter of 2015 to a score of 107, maintaining an above-the-baseline (100) optimism level for one year.

Survey: Gift cards are the present of choice for consumers this season

Washington, D.C. – Summertime is almost here, and consumers are planning to give the easy and convenient present of a gift card. More than 70% of shoppers will be giving gift cards this spring and summer during the assortment of gift-giving holidays that are approaching, including graduations, Father’s Day, and weddings.

New research from the Retail Gift Card Association (RGCA) also confirms that the gifts remain popular with recipients as well, with 95% of consumers hoping to receive gift cards this spring and summer season.
IBM invests in Watson-powered shopping, travel apps

Armonk, N.Y. – IBM Inc. is making new investments in Sellpoints and WayBlazer to advance online shopping and travel apps powered by Watson. The investments are part of IBM's $100 million commitment to drive new innovations and business solutions that build on Watson.
Urban Outfitters still struggling

The CEO of Urban Outfitters sounded a positive note about the company's omnichannel strategy despite reporting mixed financial results in the first quarter.
Walmart’s store experience efforts ding profits

Lower gas prices led to improved traffic and a 1.1% same store sales increase at Walmart’s U.S. stores division, but total company performance suffered under the weight of a $3.3 billion foreign exchange impact and expense pressures which caused profits to decline 7%.
Dick's gets clubbed by Golf Galaxy

Lackluster traffic at its Golf Galaxy stores led Dick’s Sporting Goods to report a lackluster profit in the first quarter.
Home Depot nails it in the first quarter

As other major retailers report sluggish sales, home improvement stores such as Home Depot Inc. are benefitting from rebounds in the housing market and the weather.
Stage Stores shrinks loss, revenue

Record Mother's Day sales couldn't lift profit at Stage Stores Inc., which narrowed its loss but reported disappointing same store sales in the first quarter.
TJX Cos. Inc. keeps the momentum going

Strong traffic continues to boost sales and profit at TJX Cos. Inc., which raised its annual guidance after reporting that earnings rose 4.5% in the first quarter.

The off-price retailer said that net sales for the first quarter ended May 2 increased 6% to $6.9 billion, and same store sales increased 5%. Net income for the first quarter was $475 million, and diluted earnings per share were 69 cents, an 8% increase over the prior year.
Digital insights shared in the Desert

With a title like chief retail innovation officer, Kasey Lobaugh spends a lot of time peering into the future to assess where the retail industry is headed.

The principal with Deloitte Consulting did just that May 18 at Manhattan Associates annual Momentum conference where he elaborated on new research showing that digital interactions are expected to influence 64 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores by the end of 2015, or roughly $2.2 trillion.
Survey: U.S. digital ad spend will approach $60B

Digital ad spending in the U.S. will total $58.61 billion this year, and retailers’ ad outlays will comprise 22% of that figure, according to new figures from eMarketer.