Data & Analytics

HSN may have been a pioneer in using TV as a shopping channel, but the retailer is using emerging technology to become a much broader enterprise. As HSN CEO Mindy Grossman detailed during a keynote session at last week’s Internet Retailer conference in Chicago, this is not your mother’s HSN. Not by a long shot.

“We’re engaging consumers away from TV,” said Grossman. “There is a dramatic transformation of the consumer. They are being reshaped by technology, social networks and mobility.”

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by the Commerce Dept. said that retail sales in the U.S. gained 0.6% in May, more than forecast and likely boosted by increased hiring during the month.

The increase was the largest in three months and followed a 0.1% advance in April. Bloomberg economists called for a 0.4% increase. The figures used to calculate economic growth, which exclude categories such as automobiles, climbed 0.3%.

San Francisco -- A new U.S. study conducted online by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Placecast showed that fathers use their mobile phones to save money.

The Wave IV poll in the Alert Shopper series of research revealed that 58% of American dads with smartphones said they had taken action on a promotion or coupon received on their phones, outpacing moms and those without kids.
 

Coppell, Texas -- The Container Store has launched an upgraded mobile web experience in partnership with mobile and multichannel technology provider Usablenet.

The refreshed site was designed to give users a seamless, innovative next-generation mobile shopping experience.

Philadelphia -- Five Below Inc. reported Wednesday a profit of $1.6 million, compared with a loss of $1.2 million in the year-ago period.

The discount retailer saw sales during the quarter rise 33% to $95.6 million from $71.8 million, meeting internal expectations but beating Wall Street’s forecasted $93.9 million in revenue. Same-store sales advanced 4.2%.

According to president and CEO Thomas Vellios, Five Below will open another 60 stores by the end of 2013.

For anyone involved in retail, it feels like the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Spring Convention in Las Vegas signifies an important yearly milestone. Those of us in the industry can be forgiven for visualizing a “retail year” that begins immediately after the convention in May and runs until RECon opens its doors the following year.

By Niclas Qvist, Pricer

North Wilkesboro, N.C. – Despite discussions about the need for retailers to develop a “social media strategy,” the reality is that social media is not a monolithic entity. Different social media platforms reach different types of consumers, are used for different purposes and draw traffic at different times of the day. Thus, a social media strategy really needs to be a collection of smaller strategies that are built around the dynamics of each individual platform a retailer chooses to leverage.