Data & Analytics

Washington, D.C. - The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and six other merchant associations have sent a letter rebutting recent comments about payment card security from the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA). Specifically, the letter outlines three points.  

The statement  “class action for wage and hour violations” has become an all too familiar phrase in the retail industry. The issue is also a dynamic one with constant changes from year to year, and even month to month. The bad news is that the number of wage and hour class actions filed on a daily basis continues to rise. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the number of FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) cases filed in the federal court is more than five times the number 20 years ago.    

The new year will bring more fraud than ever before, but also more tools to prevent it, according to three experts from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

The experts at ACFE were asked for their top fraud predictions for 2015. They weighed in on digital currencies, information security and other issues that will help shape the effort to prevent and detect fraud in the new year:

Pataskala, Ohio – Specialty apparel retailer Avenue Stores is turning its online customers into brand advocates by using ShopSocially’s referral marketing solution to generate referrals from its website users.    By encouraging users to connect with the Avenue brand on Facebook and share their purchases on social media, Avenue is driving word-of-mouth promotions resulting in a referral traffic that is converting at a rate as high as 28.48%.   

 

By Ryan Gilchrist

Walmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s and select other retailers already rank among the nation’s leading producers of solar energy, with huge investments that are growing every year. But the industry’s strong position in renewable energy still has room for improvement — literally — with millions of unutilized roof space, prime real estate for solar panels and wind turbines.

 

By Judah Regenstreif

 

As federal laws become increasingly strict and technology continues to advance, the necessity for a retailer to focus on long-term sustainability is crucial for continued growth. Companies are faced with the pressure to reduce energy and manage operating costs and maintenance expenses.

New York - The day after Christmas (Dec. 26) posted the highest traffic for online shopping, with 125 points, since the 2014 holiday shopping season began. According to Verizon Retail Index data, year-over-year, traffic attributed to online shopping was on par (125) with the same day in 2013.  

There’s been no shortage of developments in retail payments this past year. From high-profile data breaches forcing retailers to reconsider their security strategy, to the launch of Apple Pay bringing mobile to the forefront, both retailers and consumers have been paying unprecedented attention to their transactions.

With innovative players entering the fold and the U.S. payments infrastructure upgrade well under way, the industry is poised for a shift over the next several years.