Data & Analytics

By Hyaat Chaudhary, CEO, Carbon Media Group

At a time when the traditional separation between online and brick-and-mortar retailers is blurring, brands need to be smarter to win on the digital front. The ability to establish a presence online — and to capitalize on digital marketing and promotions driven by social media and other online tools — is no longer a luxury: it is a necessity.

New York -- Retailers who take a holistic approach to measuring the benefits of new store designs are most successful in accurately quantifying the bottom-line results, according to new research from EWI Worldwide and A.R.E. (the Association for Retail Environments).

Pittsburgh – Strong omnichannel performance, as well as successful marketing and merchandising execution, helped Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. deliver fourth quarter fiscal 2014 net income beyond previously issued guidance. Dick’s reported net income of $155.5 million, up 12% from $138.6 million a year earlier.

Dick’s plans to open 54 new stores during fiscal 2015, including 45 namesake stores and nine Field & Stream stores.

Slow and steady is winning the race at AutoZone where the company just notched its 34th consecutive quarter of double digit profit growth and has a stock pricing heading toward $700.

AutoZone’s sales in the company’s second quarter ended Feb. 14, increased 7.7% to slightly more than $2.1 billion and same store sales increased 3.6%. Net income increased 9.8% to $218 million with an aggressive stock buyback program enabling earnings per share to advance 15.6% to $6.51 cents from $5.63 the prior year and well ahead of analysts’ estimate of $6.38.

Minneapolis – Christopher Askew, president of Best Buy services, is reportedly leaving the company. According to the Wall Street Journal, Askew is leaving his post overseeing Best Buy’s Geek Squad technology services offering less than two years after he was hired from NCR Corp.

An internal company memo indicates CEO Hubert Joly will oversee the services organization on an interim basis. Best Buy confirmed the memo. The retailer has been expanding its showroom floor space as services sales have been declining.
 

Target is trying to increase its appeal with Hispanic shoppers by launching a new marketing campaign focusing on customs that are unique to many Latino communities.

The campaign, called “Sin traduccion,” or “No translation,” will feature two television ads, as well as digital and in-store components.

According to Ad Age, the campaign is meant to be a celebration of moments, traditions and emotions that are treasured by many in the Hispanic culture and spark a larger conversation with the community.

Justice continues to be a drain on the Ascena Retail Group, as the company reported a drop in same store sales for the second quarter.

The operator of Justice, as well as stores under the Lane Bryant, Cacique, Maurices, Dressbarn, and Catherines brands, said combined same store sales declined 2% during its second quarter of fiscal 2015 ended Jan. 25 due to sluggish sales at Justice.

New York -- Target Corp. plans to cut “several thousand” jobs, mainly at headquarters, during the next two years and invest $1 billion in technology and supply chain in 2015 as part of an ambitious and wide-reaching plan to transform its business for a digital age. (Target expects to invest between $2 and $2.2 billion in total capital expenditures in 2015.)