Data & Analytics

Staples is in the process of acquiring PNI Digital Media, a leading innovator in digital media solutions for retailers, for CDN$1.70 per share, representing a net equity value of approximately CDN$73.9 million.

The purchase share price represents a premium of 31.8% over the closing price of CDN$1.29 of the PNI shares May 2 on the Toronto Stock Exchange and a premium of 28.9% over the 30 day volume weighted average price of the PNI shares on the TSX for the period ended May 2.

Walgreens posted April sales of $6.49 billion, an increase of 8.8% from $5.96 billion for the same month in fiscal 2013.

Total front-end sales increased 8.8% in April compared with the same month in fiscal 2013, while same-store front-end sales increased 8.2%. Customer traffic in comparable stores increased 2.6% while basket size increased 5.6%.

As part of Rite Aid’s information technology strategy, the company has named Matt Lynch, an information technology executive with nearly 30 years’ experience, as SVP and chief information officer.

Online retailer Bluefly is looking to leverage Pitney Bowes’ technology and shipping services to help expand the online global reach of their brands to international buyers around the world.

The U.S. apparel and accessories e-tailer is using Pitney Bowes’s global ecommerce software and international shipping services to help simplify international transactions, improve the online shopping experience for consumers and facilitate international growth.
 

Expenses associated with a rejected merger with Argonne Capital Group and the planned closing of more than a dozen stores took a chunk out of broad-line retailer Alco’s fourth quarter results.  

Net sales from continuing operations during the quarter decreased 8.9% to $130.9 million, compared to $143.6 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, which had an additional week. Excluding the 14th week of the fiscal 2013 quarter, net sales from continuing operations decreased 4.7%.

Lakeland, Fla. -- Publix reported that its profit rose 4.8% to $493.7 million in its first quarter.  

Sales increased 4.1% to $7.8 billion, with a 4% increase in same-store sales.  

Publix estimated that its sales were negatively impacted by 1.3% due to the later Easter this year.  

Effective May 1, Publix’s stock price increased from $30.15 per share to $32.50 per share. Publix stock is not publicly traded and is available only to current Publix employees and members of its board of directors.

Arlington, Va. -- The dominance of the mobile channel is illustrated in a new survey from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which reveals that two-thirds (64%) of U.S. households now own smartphones, surpassing ownership of basic cell phones 51%) for the first time, according to a new study.

New York -- Andrea Weiss, a 30-year retail veteran, and Bill Mirabito, a digital innovator, have teamed up to form The O Alliance, a consulting firm designed to help retailers better target today’s, multichannel digitally-savvy shoppers.
 

Few brands have translated their essence to the physical space as successfully as Nivea does in its Berlin flagship, Nivea Haus (House). Fashioned in the company’s signature ultra-blue and white hues, the store offers shoppers an immersive experience.

When it comes to success in retail, the old mantra of “location, location, location” has been largely replaced by “customer, customer, customer.” That was one of the themes of the SPECS workshop session, “It’s All in the Demographics.”

“Yes, it’s about demographics, but it’s more than demographics. It’s about the lifestyle embedded in the demographics,” explained Bill Stinneford, executive VP retail, Buxton, Fort Worth, Texas, which provides customer analytics for site selection, marketing and e-commerce.