Data & Analytics

By Dustin Watson, partner and director of sustainability, DDG

Place-making has become perhaps the essential element in creating value in today’s competitive retail environment.

Google has tapped Payoneer, a leading global payments company, as a payments provider for Google Trusted Stores. Payoneer will power the program’s customer payouts, providing bank transfer services that enable Google Trusted Stores to send payments to people in the countries where it currently operates.

The Google Trusted Stores program identifies online merchants that Google deems trustworthy for consumers. Google stands behind the merchants that have earned the Trusted Store badge with a $1,000 lifetime purchase protection for shoppers.

General Mills’ third-quarter sales and operating profit reflected lower volumes. The company said weak food industry trends during the period as a result of a severe winter affected its results, as did increased consumer marketing and merchandising investment in its U.S. yogurt business.

Net sales for the quarter ended Feb. 23 totaled $4.38 billion, down 1% from year-ago levels. Third-quarter net earnings totaled $411 million and diluted earnings per share totaled 64 cents per share.  

A little more than a week since the Men's Wearhouse confirmed plans to acquire Jos. A. Bank, it is launching an omnichannel inventory program giving customers access to merchandise within its distribution center and its more than 900 retail locations from one spot.  

Pacific Sunwear overcame weak mall traffic and bad weather to log its eighth consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth with a 2% comp increase in the fourth quarter.

The teen and young adult retailer said sales from continuing operations during the quarter ended Feb. 1 totaled $218.6 million compared to sales of $222.8 million during the fourth quarter the prior year, a period which included the benefit of an additional week which added sales of $9 million. PacSun ended its most recent fiscal year with 618 stores compared to 644 in the year earlier period.

Tiffany & Co. has appointed Ralph Nicoletti as its next EVP and CFO, effective April 2. He steps into the CFO role following current chief operating officer and CFO James N. Fernandez’s plans to retire in July.

Nicoletti will be based in New York and responsible for the company’s worldwide financial functions and information technology. He will report to chairman and CEO Michael J. Kowalski

The growth of e-commerce contributed to an 8% increase in average daily FedEx Ground volume, but severe winter weather exacted a heavy toll on the company’s profitability.

San Mateo, Calif. – Six-in-10 (60%) of those who knew about any data breaches at notable retailers, such as Target and Neiman Marcus, hold the merchant responsible for preventing future incidents of a data breach. The “2014 Consumer Reaction to Financial Data Breaches Study” of more than 2,000 adult U.S. consumers from Feedzai and Harris Interactive also found that 43% think nothing is more aggravating than getting credit/debit card data stolen.

New York -- More than half (55%) of consumers want mobile wallets, according to a new survey from payment technology provider VeriFone. This percentage rises to 70% among Millennial consumers.

In addition, VeriFone data shows that 65% of U.S, consumers will continue to use credit and debit as primary payment methods in 2014. Consumers are most likely to use smartphones to small purchases (45%) via smartphone, as opposed to medium (44%) and large (29%) purchases.

Other findings include:

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Accellos, Inc. is launching a new website dedicated toward the unique needs of home goods retailers located at Profitsystems.com. Profitsystems, recently acquired by Accellos in November 2013 and based out of Colorado Springs, Colo., a retail inventory and point of sale system software provider for home goods retailers.