Data & Analytics

Bellevue, Wash. – Eddie Bauer has signed a long-term renewal agreement with Alliance Data Systems Corp. to continue providing private label credit card services. Alliance Data will continue to deliver a marketing-driven private label credit card program that recognizes and rewards Eddie Bauer cardholders and complements the reward incentives the Eddie Bauer Friends rewards program offers customers.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. named veteran IT executive Bob DeRodes as chief information officer. The retailer also announced that it plans to incorporate MasterCard chip-and-PIN technology across its Target-branded REDcard portfolio by early 2015, and is converting existing payment terminals at its stores this year ahead of schedule.

Irvine, Calif. – PriceSpider has expanded availability of its Where-to-Buy (WTB) services. Previously available in the consumer electronics space, the PriceSpider WTB service is now also available and in use in the home appliance, toy, automotive parts, sporting goods and consumer packaged goods markets.

Mountain View, Calif. - Airtight Networks, which provides in-store WiFi analytics such as how long customers stay and shop, how often they come in and marketing campaign effectiveness, is partnering with Frontera Consulting to package social media and retail intelligence capabilities with the Airtight platform. The new solution offers WiFi-based brand lifecycle management.

Dallas - Tuesday Morning Corp. has named Sherry M. Smith, who most recently served as executive VP and CFO of SuperValu Inc., and Frank M. Hamlin, who currently serves as executive VP of marketing at Guitar Center, as independent members of the company's board of directors, effective immediately.  

Hamlin will serve on the Nominating and Governance Committee and Smith will serve on the Audit and Compensation Committee.

Effective May 5, Bob DeRodes will lead Target’s information technology transformation as EVP and chief information officer, as the retailer continues to recover from the data breach late last year.

Target also provided details on additional security enhancements it has made following that breach — which reportedly resulted in the theft of 40 million credit and debit card records and 70 million other records of customer details — and shared plans to incorporate MasterCard chip-and-PIN technology across its REDcard portfolio.

Tuesday Morning Corporation has added Frank M. Hamlin, EVP of marketing at Guitar Center, and Sherry M. Smith, who most recently served as EVP and CFO of Supervalu, to its board.

Hamlin will serve on the nominating and governance committee, while Smith will serve on the audit and compensation committee.

Virtual Piggy’s Oink has appointed Trent Walker to VP business development for key accounts.

Walker has more than 10 years of payments and finance industry experience, working with many of the world’s leading corporations, including Google and Facebook. For the past six years, Walker has held strategic leadership roles within the financial services department at Arvato, the $6 billion per year division of Bertlesmann.

Although bad weather hurt some retailers during the crucial fourth quarter, it didn’t stop Michaels Stores from seeing comparable store sales increase 4.6% for the period ended Feb. 1.

Comparable store sales were driven by a 4.2% increase in the company's average ticket and a 0.5% increase in transactions, partially offset by a 10 basis point impact from deferred custom framing revenue.  

Net sales increased 2% to $1.55 billion from $1.52 billion during the quarter, which had a 53rd week that generated an estimated $66 million in net sales.

Walmart has gathered CEOs from more than a dozen global companies to sign new commitments that accelerate innovation in sustainable agriculture and recycling. The pledges kicked off Walmart’s inaugural Sustainable Product Expo, a three-day collaboration to expand the availability of products that sustain people and the environment.

Together, the participating suppliers represent more than $100 billion in sales at Walmart.