Data & Analytics

Arlington, Va. -- The passage of comprehensive tax reform and a more level playing field between online retailers and Main Street retailers for sales tax collection top the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s public policy priorities for 2013.

According to RILA, the retail industry pays among the highest domestic effective tax rates at 36.4% more than 10 percentage points higher than the average for all other industries.

Toronto -- Mood Media announced that it is consolidating its portfolio companies — Muzak, DMX and Mood Media — into a single global brand under the Mood banner. Mood acquired Muzak, which was founded in 1934, in 2011.  

“It’s the end of an iconic American brand,” said Lorne Abony, chairman and CEO Mood Media, in a New York Times report.
    

New York -- Duane Reade announced that its 250 plus stores are integrating into Niantic Labs' new mobile game, Ingress. The drugstore chain is one of the first retail partners in the New York metropolitan area for "Ingress," which blends the physical and virtual world to create a one-of-a-kind gaming experience.

Deerfield, Ill. — Walgreens Tuesday morning reported January sales of $6.2 billion, an increase of 6.3% as compared to the same month in fiscal 2012.

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased by 13.6% in January and increased 11.6% on a day-fall adjusted basis. This year's January had one additional Wednesday and Thursday and one fewer Sunday and Monday compared with January 2012, positively impacting prescriptions filled in comparable stores by 2 percentage points.

Roseville, Calif. -- Family Dollar Stores is renewing its software contract with Revionics, which provides end-to-end merchandise optimization solutions, the supplier announced. The multi-year agreement will extend the retailer’s services with Revionics’ price optimization solutions, with Family Dollar leveraging Revionics’ solutions in each of its more than 7,600 stores in 45 states.

New York -- Aeropostale announced the retirement of president Michael Cunningham, effective March 29. He will remain on the board of directors.

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Oracle Corp. said on Monday it has agreed to buy Acme Packet for $29.25 per share or approximately $1.7 billion, net of Acme Packet’s cash.
 
Acme Packet, which is based in Bedford, Mass., makes networking equipment that allows customers to deliver voice, video and data across Internet networks for tasks such as video conferencing.
 

San Francisco -- A survey released Monday by online reservation firm OpenTable found that, when Valentine’s Day bookends a weekend, it tends to benefit restaurants.

Valentine’s Day, which falls on a Thursday this year, will likely be celebrated beyond the official day, as diners continue to celebrate over the following weekend.

The Valentine’s Day survey also found that the projected check average this year is $139, which is 63% higher than the typical OpenTable check average of $85 per couple.