Data & Analytics

Retail buyers are no longer bound by the constraints of their desk top work station thanks to new mobile capabilities resulting from TradeStone Software’s acquisition of Leap Ahead Solutions.

In the rapidly changing landscape for payments, market leader Vantiv is changing more rapidly than most as evidenced by dramatic growth in its transaction volume, revenues and profits.

Each of those measures surged during the company’s third quarter ended September 30. Thanks in large part to acquisitions, transaction volume in the merchant service group increased 31% which caused net revenue to increase 42% to $297.7 million. The company’s total revenue increased 31% to $697.1 million while adjusted net income increased 21% to $96.9 million, or 49 cents a share.

By John Bible, Oracle   

San Francisco –- Compared to non-users, Twitter users start holiday shopping earlier, spend more and are more prone to impulse purchases. According to a new study conducted by brand research firm DB5 for Twitter, more than a third (34%) of Twitter users have already begun thinking about holiday shopping, and 81% say they love holiday shopping, compared to 56% of non-users.  

Sunbury, Penn. –- Weis Markets Inc. reported net income of $13.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014, a 17% increase from $11.7 million in the same period a year earlier. The elimination of a one-time severance charge and impairment charge from the loss of four properties helped boost net income for the quarter.   Net sales increased 3% to $683.9 million from $661.4 million, while its same-store sales increased 2.6%.   

Waterbury, Conn. –- Likely spurred by back-to-school needs, consumers increased their spending on books 13% in the third quarter of 2014 compared to the same quarter the prior year. According to the quarterly Chase Freedom Lifestyle Index quarterly barometer of consumer trends based on aggregated Chase Freedom cardholder spending data, spending at craft stores (up 7%) also rose significantly in the quarter.  

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and a group of merchant associations have sent a letter on the state of cybersecurity in the U.S. and how the payments system works in a letter to the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU). The letter dispels what the merchant groups say are many misconceptions the credit unions have been driving regarding recent cyberattacks and the response by retailers and financial institutions. 

By Craig Johnson, Customer Growth Partners   With a third straight year of dismal retail spending, American consumers will generate only a lackluster 3.4% year-over-year increase in holiday sales, well below the 5% pace in 2010 and 2011, according to Customer Growth Partners’ 14th Annual Holiday Forecast.   

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Kohl’s has overhauled its core merchandising, inventory, and pricing operations with the launch of a new Oracle Retail Merchandise Operations Management solution, allowing the retailer to coordinate a unified system of record for inventory to better serve multi-channel customers and to simplify its business user experience.