Data & Analytics

Chicago -- High-income consumers think warehouse club products are on a par with leading brands, according to new research from Mintel. Indeed, 38% believe store brand or private label brands at warehouse clubs are comparable to name brand items in terms of quality — a number that increases to 44% of households earning $150K+. That's the highest percentage of all income groups surveyed, compared to 27% of those earning less than $25K, 36% of those earning $50-$74.9K and 41% of those with incomes between $100-$149.9K.  

Randolph, N.J. -- Retailers are behind Amazon in analytics maturity, according to a new research report from EKN Research. Eighty percent of retailers say they are behind Amazon in analytics maturity, and 71% of retailers perform either basic analytics reporting or none at all – revealing retailers’ inability to take advantage of the data that is available to them.
 

New York -- Coupon website RetailMeNot plans to make deals more personalized for users. The website and app offers coupons and deals to customers based on their location and stores and restaurants that they’ve favorited. Now, with more than 18 million downloads of the mobile app and a June launch of a tablet app, RetailMeNot is planning to expand its capabilities to allow retailers to use the app as a tool for reaching new customers.

New York -- Another online retailer has made the leap to the physical space.  Beauty subscription company Birchbox has opened its first brick-and-mortar store, in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The two-level store brings the company’s digital experience to life, with a big emphasis on new products, customer reviews and expert advice. It also offers hair, nails and make-up services and group classes on various topics. The first class, taking place the week of July 21, will focus on make-up contouring tricks.
  

After two years in Android and Apple app stores, coupon website RetailMeNot is planning to make deals more personalized for users, which could have a big impact on retailers’ bottom lines.

The website and app offers coupons and deals to customers based on their location and stores and restaurants that they’ve favorited. Now, with more than 18 million downloads of the mobile app and a June launch of a tablet app, RetailMeNot is planning to expand its capabilities to allow retailers to use the app as a tool for reaching new customers.

Drawbridge, a leading cross-device advertising platform, has added former Apple exec Andy Miller to its board of directors.

Miller is a current adviser and the former president and COO of Leap Motion, as well as a former Partner at Highland Capital. Previously, Miller was VP of mobile advertising at Apple, reporting directly to Steve Jobs. He was co-founder and CEO of Quattro Wireless, which was acquired by Apple in 2009 and would become Apple's mobile advertising platform, iAd.

6pm.com, the sister site of Zappos.com, which is owned by Amazon, is launching its first-ever live streaming fashion show and inviting the public to share via social media outfits inspired by the brand's top six summer trends: seaside sorbet, nautical by nature, athletic luxe, neutral notes, feminine flair and metallic madness.

The top 10 submitted looks will be featured in the Style by 6pm.com Summer Fashion Show, with winners receiving a $250 6pm.com e-gift card.

Tractor Supply is scheduled to provide complete second-quarter results in just under two weeks. But the first half of the quarter was affected by bad weather, which caused softness in sales, particularly in seasonal merchandise, prompting the company to lower its full-year guidance.

Fresh & Easy is bringing back its Shop for Schools fundraising program with some notable improvements. Powered by the national fundraising program eScrip, it will kick off in time for the start of the 2014/2015 school year.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is reportedly seeking to keep files regarding an internal probe of possible bribes paid to Mexican officials to aid real estate deals out of the hands of investors. According to Bloomberg, Wal-Mart is arguing in a case before the Delaware Supreme Court that the files in question are protected by attorney-client privilege.