Data & Analytics

San Francisco – PBTeen, a Williams-Sonoma retail brand, will open a new store in Huntington, N.Y., on Nov. 7. It will be the first PBTeen location on Long Island, the 16th in the U.S., and also the first combined location of PBTeen, Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids, with pass-through access to all three stores.

New York -- Shoppers feel that they get a better retail experience online than in-store, including better service, more perks and rewards, and the ability to make smarter purchasing decisions, according to shopping behavior and retail trends firm WSL.  

By James McCandless and Kenneth Katz,  X Team International

The recent government shutdown has analysts scrambling to determine how much damage was done to the national economy. From a retail perspective, understanding the scale and scope of the shutdown requires a more thorough understanding of the issues at play; including a closer look at how retailers responded and a breakdown of how the lingering effects of the partial government closure may impact the holiday sales season.

The ripple effect on retail

Retail sales fell in September for the first time in six months, but the decline was credited to a drop-off in auto purchases. Most U.S. retail sectors actually experienced broad sales gains during the month, according to the National Retail Federation, which reported that, excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, retail sales grew a seasonally 0.6% compared to the previous month and 3.8% unadjusted compared to the prior year.

Results of specific sectors include:

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company on Wednesday reported a better-then-expected 34% rise in its fiscal fourth-quarter and raised its quarterly dividend 24%. The company earned $481.1 million, up from $359 million a year ago.

Total net revenues increased 13% to $3.8 billion, just short of expectations.

Global same-store sales increased 7%, driven by a 5% increase in traffic. Same-store sales were up 8% in the United States and the Americas and 8% in China/Asia Pacific region.

Hayward, Calif. -- Posiflex’s new TX4200E is a small industrial PC multipurpose controller that runs virtually any software to drive digital signage, kitchen control configurations, PC replacement, surveillance systems, point-of-purchase displays, POS and service, and wired or wireless vending or kiosk applications.

New York -- Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. has implemented Gerber Technology’s YuniquePLM software for its men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel and footwear lines. The vertical retailer is using the product lifecycle management (PLM) solution to ensure its many teams are able to collaborate and communicate optimally to increase speed and efficiency of getting products to market.

Waldorf, Germany -- By 2015, retailing will be marked by redefined customer interaction, a new level of real-time customer data, and a global, verticalized supply chain. According to an SAP-sponsored webinar hosted by Chain Store Age on Oct. 29, “Improving Retail Decisions with Big Data and Predictive Analysis,” the plethora of Big Data retailers can now process will make this evolution possible.