Data & Analytics

Minneapolis - HighJump Software, a provider of supply chain execution and retail management software, is releasing new capabilities and enhancements to its Retailvantage retail inventory and POS solution. With more than 50 enhancements and new features added to the system, this latest release includes enhanced reporting functionality, further e-commerce integration with FurnitureDealer.net and MicroD, and new capabilities such as the ability to send e-receipts and capture digital customer signatures at the point-of-sale.

San Mateo, Calif. - Feedzai, a data science company that uses real-time, machine-based learning to analyze Big Data to prevent fraud, has developed e-commerce apps for the Shopify and Big Commerce platforms. The Feedzai apps on Shopify and Big Commerce provide online retailers with real-time information to determine the legitimacy of an order.

New York - Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer of TripAdvisor, has been appointed to the XO Group board of directors and will serve as an independent director on the board's Compensation Committee. XO Group is parent company of wedding and pregnancy sites including The Bump, The Nest and The Knot.

As an article that appeared recently right here in Chain Store Age noted, there is something interesting going on with back-to-school shopping this year.

Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot has raised its full-year adjusted operating income forecast as cost savings from the closure of some U.S. stores related to its acquisition of OfficeMax are expected to be higher than previously anticipated. As previously announced, Office Depot plans to close at least 400 stores by the end of 2016, with about 165 closures in 2014.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. is reducing its earnings guidance for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 due to the expected $138 million financial impact of its December 2013 data breach, partially offset by $38 million in insurance. Target now expects EPS for the quarter within a range around $0.78, compared with prior guidance of $0.85 to $1 per share.

Woonsocket, R.I. – CVS Caremark Inc. beat Wall Street estimates with net income of $1.2 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, up 11% from $1.1 billion in year-ago period. CVS cited increased generic drug dispensing rates and favorable Medicaid reimbursement from the state of California as aiding net income results.

Deerfield, Ill. – Same-store sales at Walgreen Co. rose 5.2% in July. Walgreens had July sales of $6.39 billion, an increase of 6.1% from $6.02 billion for the same month in fiscal 2013.

Total front-end sales increased 1.4% in July compared with the same month in fiscal 2013, while same-store front-end sales increased 1.1%. Same-store customer traffic decreased 2.6% while basket size increased 3.7%.

Fort Worth, Texas -- RadioShack is opening 23 new interactive remodel stores in the Washington, D.C., metro area. RadioShack began remodeling and opening highly experiential concept stores across the country in July 2013, and has refreshed its more than 4,000 U.S. company-owned stores.

Locally remodeled stores feature RadioShack's new Fix It Here service, a mobile device repair program that typically delivers same-day repair for mobile devices. Technicians will diagnose and repair the device at an in-store kiosk, often in as little as an hour.

Tamarac, Fla. – Mayors Jewelers, a brand of Birks Group Inc., will use private label credit card services from Alliance Data Systems Corp. Alliance Data is offering a customized, multi-channel credit program for the Mayors Jewelers brand, designed to help deliver incremental sales, cross-product selling and increased transaction size.