Data & Analytics

J.C. Penney continues to be a bright spot in the retail sector with impressive increases in same-store sales and earnings, as well as a new marketing campaign that is generating a lot of buzz.

On Thursday, the retailer announced that same store sales grew 4.1 % for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30. A combination of strong sales growth, accelerated gross margins and disciplined expense reduction resulted in full year adjusted EBITDA of $715 million, a $435 million increase.

Perhaps no other retailer is profiting as well from Americans' changing eating habits than Sprouts Farmers Market, which reported record sales and earnings for the fourth quarter.

The Arizona-based grocer said that same store sales during the period ended Jan. 3 rose 7.4%. Net income was $28.2 million and diluted earnings per share were 18 cents. Net sales were $3.59 billion, a 21% increase compared to reported net sales in 2014. Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.86, a 19% increase from 2014.

Gap Inc. says its fourth quarter results show the company's turnaround plan is working, but the retailer continues to post lackluster sales and earnings.

The parent company of Old Navy and Banana Republic says fourth-quarter profits were $214 million, or 53 cents per share, for the three-month period ended Jan. 30. That compares with $319 million or 75 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue dropped nearly 7% in the quarter to $4.39 billion. Same-store sales declined 7%.

One of the most exciting and rewarding things about being part of a tightly integrated national network of retail brokerages is the degree to which that network can serve as a resource unto itself. Fellow professionals from around the country and the world can engage in knowledge sharing about market-specific forces, industry observations and invaluable perspective about the changing face of the industry.

Target Corp. is tapping into the startup community in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley to gain a merchandising edge.

The retailer is launching a series of “Demo Days” aimed at discovering interesting new “smart” products from startup companies. The program kicked off on Feb. 23, with Target inviting 12 startups to its office near Silicon Valley to pitch “smart baby” products. Each company had 20 minutes to showcase its products and receive real-time feedback from Target.

They are not mythological monsters, but a real phenomenon retailers say is limiting their ability to take advantage of emerging technologies.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is officially calling on Congress to pass patent reform legislation that would put an end to “shakedown settlements” forced on retailers by “patent trolls.” Patent trolls are companies that purchase often-obscure patents for technology they did not invent, then demand licensing fees from retailers and other businesses that may not realize the technology is patented.

Boston-based online home furnishings retailer Wayfair Inc. managed to shrink its net loss in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 while other financial results soared.

Wayfair reported net loss of $15.49 million, down from $72.55 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Growth in cost of goods sold, operating expenses and other costs did not match the rate of revenue growth. Net revenue increased 81% to $739.79 million, from $408.62 million.