Data & Analytics

Despite reporting a boost in fourth-quarter profits, Groupon says the impact of foreign exchange rates will affect first-quarter performance.

The e-commerce company posted fourth-quarter profit of 6 cents per share, up from 4 cents a share a year earlier. Revenue increased 20 percent to $925 million from $768 million.

Retail sales will accelerate in 2015 and grow at the fastest pace since 2011, according to a recent forecast from the National Retail Federation.

The trade group said Retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 4.1% in 2015, up from 3.5% in 2014. The increase would mark the biggest annual growth since 2011 when retail sales for the year increased 5.1%. Non-store sales in 2015 are expected to grow between 7% and 10%.

Here are five retail trends to expect in 2015 — and the opportunity each trend presents — from the folks at T1Visions, a provider of interactive touch-screen technology.

1. Stores as Experiences = opportunity to create new ways to interact with product; focus on experience over the sale; customize the experience whenever and wherever possible.

New York -- Twitter plans to acquire Niche, a startup that pairs content creators popular on such social media platforms as Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter's own Vine with brand advertisers.

Niche, founded in 2013, provides social media creators – its stable includes more than 6,000 – with free, cross-platform analytics on desktop and mobile, and serves as a non-exclusive talent rep to facilitate branded content deals with its network of companies and agencies.

Washington, D.C. -- Retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 4.1% in 2015, up from 3.5% in 2014, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2015 economic forecast. The increase would mark the biggest annual growth since 2011 when retail sales for the year increased 5.1%. Non-store sales in 2015 are expected to grow between 7% and 10%.

New York -- Whole Foods Market has set itself an ambitious agenda for 2015 with 38 to 42 new store openings, including relocations, for annual square footage growth of 9% to 10%. The company, which currently has 408 stores, remains committed to tripling its U.S. store count to 1,200 locations over the long term.

New York -- In a big loss for American Express, Costco Wholesale Club will no longer accept American Express cards at its U.S. stores starting on March 31, 2016, ending a 16-year-old exclusive relationship with the credit card giant. Costco is one of the few big U.S. retailers that accepts only American Express cards, with by Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and Discover Financial Services cards not accepted at its stores.

Pittsburgh - GNC Holdings Inc. is looking to 2015 as a year of expansion. The retailer plans to open 125 total net new domestic (including both company-owned and franchised stores) and retail segment locations, approximately 150 net new international franchise locations, and approximately 30 net new GNC-Rite Aid store-within-a-store locations.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. has agreed to pay almost $4 million in fines for overcharging customers at stores in Contra Costa, Sonoma, Marin, Santa Cruz and Fresno counties in California. The payment will settle a complaint filed by the San Diego City Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the district attorneys of the affected counties.

The complaint said that Target charged consumers more money at the cash register than was advertised on price tags in aisles, and also misrepresented the weight of packaged food.

Seattle - A significant increase in selling, general and administrative expenses, as well as higher marketing expenses, helped plunge net income at pure play retailer Zulily Inc. below Wall Street expectations during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income fell 15% to $10.88 million from $12.75 million.