Data & Analytics

North Bergen, N.J. – Strong results in its e-commerce segment, along with growing same-store sales and income from Super Supplements stores acquired in the fourth quarter, helped boost the performance of Vitamin Shoppe Inc. during the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013. On a year-over-year basis, fourth quarter net income grew 15.9% to $11.2 million from $9.7 million.

New York -- The future looks bright for retail stores. That’s the conclusion of a new report by the International Council of Shopping Centers. The report, set to be released in May during ICSC’s RECon Conference, finds that population growth in the United States is now outpacing the addition of retail space by three-and-a-half times.

“As a result, shopping space per capita, which peaked in 2009 at 24.2 square feet, now stands at 23.7. This correction will make way for demand in new retail space once again,” the report said.

Madison, Wis. --  Solomo Technology Inc. has launched Solomo Exchange 2.0, a comprehensive platform for location analytics and mobile engagement enabling rapid implementation and management of smart locations. With a smart location, retailers can activate devices and sensors to realize analytics, build and measure campaigns and enhance engagement across a facility, multi-floor building or entire organization. Consumers are given complete control of their personal identity and location information.

Amazon customers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany can now buy, spend and earn Amazon Coins on their Android phones and tablets. Previously available for use exclusively on Kindle Fire tablets, Amazon Coins can now be used to buy the latest apps, purchase extra lives within Candy Crush or unlock Red’s amazing Super Roaster in Angry Birds GO directly from their Android devices.

Redmond, Wash. -- PlayNetwork, a leading innovator in branded entertainment media experiences, is expanding its global reach with the announcement of its new Hong Kong office.
 
The Hong Kong office joins PlayNetwork locations around the globe, with teams in London, England; Columbus, Ohio; Sherman Oaks, Calif.; New York City; and the company's corporate headquarters in Redmond, Wash.

Roam, an Ingenico company and a leading mobile commerce platform provider, has expanded its mPOS solutions to include chip and PIN acceptance with the RP750x mobile card reader.

The new cloud-based solution is fully compatible with Roam’s mobile commerce platform, which supports new mPOS players with all mobile card acceptance types: magnetic stripe, NFC, chip and sign and chip and PIN.

Features of the RP750x include:

Chicago – True Value Company reported declining earnings in the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013 even as sales moderately increased compared to the same periods a year earlier. The retailer posted quarterly earnings of $12.5 million, a decrease of 57% from $29.1 million for the same period a year ago.

True Value's Mobile Order App for smartphones is putting more power into the hands of retailers, according to the co-op.

The True Value mobile ordering app, which began as a concept about 18 months ago, is now in its sixth month of operation. It's in use at about 1,800 retailers making thousands of orders, said Rosalee Hermans, head of information technology for True Value.