Data & Analytics

Destination XL increased its earnings guidance for fiscal 2015 after the men's big-and-tall retailer pre-announced increased profit and high single-digit same-store sales for the fourth quarter.

For footwear manufacturer Red Wing Shoe Company, operating more than 500 stores is an added network complexity.

The Red Wing, Minnesota-based company also has a wider variety of in-store needs, such as operating a business-to-business sales environment as well as a direct-to-consumer channel, than many other retailers. Thus, when Red Wing decided to implement Oracle Retail Xstore POS software, it enlisted the help of system integration and development services provider BTM Global.

Many companies have developed robust social media platforms for marketing and advertising, but aren’t quite sure how to manage customers who visit a company’s site to lodge a customer service inquiry, simply vent or even express satisfaction with a product or service.

They simply run away from customers. Yet, these same companies would never ignore a customer phone call or email, probably because it seems more controllable than the social media environment.

Rite Aid on Thursday announced a big push behind its unique loyalty card offering wellness+ with Plenti - beginning Jan. 31, Rite Aid is offering its wellness+ with Plenti members the opportunity to earn 5,000 Plenti points when they spend up to $200 on participating products in stores or online. During Rite Aid’s “Big Point Event,” which runs through Feb. 27, customers can make multiple visits and purchases to reach the reward thresholds to earn up to 5,000 Plenti points.

Shake Shack and Uber have digitally collaborated on customer experience with a little help from Visa Inc.

In December 2015, New York-based, 66-unit Shake Shack and Uber utilized the new Visa Commerce Network to offer a cross-promotion. Built on the VisaNet electronic payment network and accessible through application programming interfaces (APIs), Visa Commerce Network works by connecting transactions between two merchants.

Retailers looking for validation that their data privacy efforts matter can look to disturbing new figures from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

According to data released by the FTC, it received more than 490,000 consumer complaints about identity theft in 2015. This is a 47% increase from the number of identity theft complaints in 2014. The Department of Justice estimates that in total, 17.6 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2014.

UberRush is not the only online delivery provider looking to expand its reach.

When it comes to e-commerce, the top driver is actually something the experience doesn’t offer.

According to two surveys of online shoppers in the U.S. and Canada conducted by Bizrate Insights, a division of Connexity, in December 2015 and January 2016, a leading 55% of respondents cited the lack of crowds, traffic and hunting for parking as a top reason to buy online. Another 46% said shopping online takes less time than shopping in stores, while 46% also mentioned free shipping.