Data & Analytics

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid projected that it would turn a profit in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014, results of which it will announce next week. The company has also moved to refinance its debt, announcing that it would buy half a billion dollars in notes using proceeds from a new loan, while also

The retail pharmacy chain said it would buy $500 million worth of 7.5% Senior Secured Notes, due 2017, using the proceeds from a $500 million second lien term loan.

The offer will expire on July 5 unless it's extended, the company said.

Washington, D.C. -- Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 1.1% in June over the same month last year, reflecting modest growth expectations as retailers head toward the back-to-school and holiday seasons, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.



Chesapeake, Va. – Dollar Tree has promoted former COO Gary Philbin to the new position of president and COO. Philbin, who has served as COO of Dollar Tree since 2007, spent 30 years in various merchandising and operations executive positions in the grocery vertical before joining Dollar Tree as SVP of Stores in 2001.

By Lee Cote, [email protected]

New York – Brooks Brothers is connecting data to the customer experience in order to replicate the highly personalized shopping environment of its stores on its e-commerce site.

“We are connectors,” Cindy L. Hicks, director of analytics for Brooks Brothers, told the audience during a session at last week’s Internet Retailer conference in Chicago. “Our job is to connect data to the customer experience with a software package.”

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced a $15 billion share buyback program at its annual shareholder meeting on Friday. It also said it expects to generate $10 billion in global e-commerce sales by the end of the fiscal year.

The new buyback program replaces the previous $15 billion plan, which had about $712 million remaining under the 2011 authorization.  

New York -- Bob Valair, director, energy & environmental management for Staples, will discuss how energy management is helping the retail chain save resources and add to the bottom line during a Chain Store Age Webinar on Tuesday, June 11, 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m PT).

Valair will also discuss Staples’ ongoing partnership with the EnergyStar program.   

Click here to register.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. reported  a 27% drop in first-quarter earnings amid a cool spring throughout much of the country and rising costs.  But the company, a spinoff from Sears Holdings Corp., pointed to improving signs in late spring.

Sears Hometown earned $15 million in the quarter that ended May 4, compared with $20.6 million in the year ago period.

Revenue dropped 3% to $601.1 million. Same-store sales fell 5%.