Data & Analytics

GameStop CEO Paul Raines remained optimistic about the company’s fourth quarter results, saying that the launch of new consoles in 2013 marked the return of innovation to the video game category and that the company’s market share increased to an all-time high.

Manhattan Associates’ Floor & Decor, a leading specialty retailer in the hard surface flooring market, has selected Manhattan Associates' transportation management system (TMS) and warehouse management System (WMS) solutions to unify its distribution systems under one platform that will allow the company's to grow.

New York -- Social media delivers more than wish-list window shopping — it is, essentially, a social-purchasing path for young women that leverages each platform's strength and point of engagement to enhance the shopping process, according to a survey by Teen Vogue. And according to respondents, the future belongs to Instagram. It is the platform most cited as the one that "everyone will be talking about next year," and the clear must-have app this year.

Boston -- Furniture and home décor retailer Z Gallerie has deployed Oracle Commerce to  improve conversion and basket size.

In August 2013, Z Gallerie went live with Oracle Commerce, resulting in more relevant content, improved navigation and better ease-of-use regardless of the device customers use to access the site. The full implementation was completed quickly and sales from on-site search have dramatically increased.

A central theme of the Oracle Industry Connect conference, held in Boston March 25-26, was “Commerce Anywhere,” or the new customer experience paradigm that requires enabling the consumer to purchase products how they want, when they want and to do so in a connected, nearly seamless fashion. IT also entails delivering targeted assortments, making inventory transparent and accessible to customers and employees in real-time, and integrating the systems supporting retail operations.

New York -- Facebook has seen the future — through 3D goggles. The social media giant has reached an agreement to acquire hot virtual reality technology start-up Oculus VR for $2 billion. The deal is comprised of $400 million in cash and 23.1 million shares of Facebook stock.  

Yonkers, N.Y. -- Thousands of subscribers to the world's largest independent product-testing organization weighed in on grocery shopping via Consumer Reports’ latest survey – and gave Wegmans, Trader Joe's, Publix, Costco and Sprouts the highest scores overall among 55 of the nation's major grocery stores.

Walmart landed at the bottom of the ratings, based on a survey of the 27, 208 subscribers.

New York -- A pair of banks has filed suit against Target Corp. and security firm Trustwave, alleging damages suffered after the retailer’s holiday season data breach and accusing Trustwave of failing to identify security gaps.

According to a report by Reuters, which cited the American Banker, Trustmark National Bank and Green Bank N.A. are seeking damages of more than $5 million and named Trustwave Holdings and Target as defendants.

Houston -- While 91 new stores boosted sales for the final fiscal quarter and year-end, Francesca’s Holdings Corp. saw net income for the 13-week period ended Feb. 1 slide to $10.6 million, from $14.9 million last year.

Same-store sales fell 6%, swinging from a 10% increase in the prior year quarter. Revenue surged to $92.1 million from $86.7 million, helped by 91 new boutique openings since the prior year quarter.  Five of the 91 opened during the fourth quarter.

Atlanta -- Crowd-sourced delivery company Kanga has launched a new iPhone and Android app that will place on-demand delivery options in the hands of local customers. The first market to pilot the on-demand shipping solution is Kanga’s home base of Atlanta.

The solution, which leverages crowd-sourced labor, is designed to connect customers and retailers with local delivery drivers.