Data & Analytics

London – British shoe retailer Soletrader sees delivery of an excellent customer experience across all retail channels as crucial to company growth while also providing competitive edge. Soletrader selected MNP Retail’s Order Management System to serve as a real time-inventory, order, and customer data hub.

This has enabled Soletrader to scale growth by way of digital stores and click and collect in-store tablet solutions.

Loehmann's has added a new e-commerce chief to help build the next phase of the off-price retailer's online marketplace.

Loehmann's said that Jeffrey Cripe is joining the Loehmann's advisory board. Cripe, who manages e-commerce partnerships and business development at Christie's, has experience in e-commerce, branding, audience development, and strategic partnerships.

San Francisco – Retail sales in several top retail verticals fell despite increased shopper traffic in April 2015. According to a report from Wi-Fi location analytics provider Euclid, early Easter did not cause a drop-off in visits to the store, but consumer caution around spending tax refunds prevented a commensurate sales boost.

Euclid estimates sales growth in the following retail verticals of:

• 1.1% decline year-over-year in general merchandise, apparel, furniture and other (GAFO) retail sales.

Sprouts Farmers Market cited strong top-line sales growth as among the reasons for the retailer’s 4.8% comp increase for the first quarter.

Net sales for the first quarter ended March 29 were $857.5 million, a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2014. Net sales growth was driven by strong performance in new stores opened and a 4.8% increase in same store sales growth, the company said.

New York – Despite some reservations, a federal judge is reportedly refusing to block a proposed settlement between Target Corp. and MasterCard related to the retailer’s 2013 data breach. According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson in St. Paul, Minnesota declined a request from a group of banks and credit unions to rule against the $19 million settlement.

The EMV liability shift occurs Oct 2015 and the United States expects six million to eight million EMV cards to be deployed by the end of the year. Payment solutions giant Ingenico Group believes many merchants will not be ready. (Ingenico Group is an active member of both the Smart Card Alliance and the EMV Migration Forum, which are cross industry organizations focused on easing the U.S. EMV implementation.)

Based on his expertise in EMV transitions, Ingenico Group North America president Thierry Denis offers the following observations and advice:

Seattle - The intersection of technology and retail, online, in-store, apps, mobile, can enhance the shopping experience for women 25-40. According to a new report from Waggener Edstrom, “Romancing the Store: Reconnecting in the Empowered Shopper Era,” when done correctly, tech offerings can be a seamless part of the overall experience and help bolster sales.

Kay Jewelers is leveraging the visual power of Pinterest and Instagram by running an innovative social media promotion for Mother’s Day.

The retailer said that visitors to its Instagram and Pinterest accounts will have an opportunity to interact with the brand through eye-catching visuals that showcase the company's jewelry in unique and creative ways, as well as win huge prizes.