Data & Analytics

By Shannon Warner, Cognizant Technology Solutions   Talk about a gap: 62% of shoppers say loyalty program membership is beneficial, but only 26% consider retailers’ programs worth joining.   

Michaels is partnering with a new ad agency on a $180 million marketing plan as the arts and crafts retailer looks to weave a quilt of higher sales and market share.

Zimmerman Advertising will perform a range of key functions for Michaels, working with a total marketing budget of $180 million and focusing on strategic planning, analytics, digital media planning and buying and social media.

Natick, Mass. – For fashion brand Nic & Zoe, which recently opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Boston’s Shops at Prudential Center, the high degree of customer personalization and engagement found online is a routine and expected part of business. The company is using the Retail Cloud POS solution from Springboard Retail to bring personalized sales and customer engagement in the store closer to virtual levels.  

Issaquah, Wash. – Costco Wholesale Corp. beat Wall Street expectations for net income and sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2015.  Net income totaled $496 million, up 17% from $425 million the same period a year earlier.   Lower opening expenses and higher interest income helped boost profits.   Total revenue grew 7% to $26.87 million from $25.02 million. Total same-store sales rose 5%.

Menlo Park, Calif. – Facebook is improving its Facebook Search feature with emphasis on personalized results and mobile functionality. The social network has updated its internal search feature to provide uniquely targeted results designed to make it easy for users to find posts that have been shared with them.  

Lands' End sales fell in its October quarter as its store base dwindled, though an improved merchandise assortment and a more-targeted promotional strategy helped drive a 26% increase in profits.

For the third quarter ended Oct. 31, Lands' End posted a profit of $18 million, or 56 cents a share, up from a profit of $14.3 million, or 45 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue, meanwhile, fell 2.8% to $373.1 million as same-store sales fell 3.1%.

Arlington, Va. - Gift cards will surpass $124 billion in sales in 2014, up 5% from 2013. According to from advisory firm CEB TowerGroup, the gift card market should undergo an annual growth rate of 5-6% through 2017, but double-digit growth rates experienced in recent years have peaked and subsided.

ATLANTA - EarthLink Holdings Corp., a managed network and cloud solutions provider, announced that Mississippi-based Hancock Fabrics recently selected EarthLink to simplify infrastructure operations via a comprehensive, secure managed network solution.    Once implemented throughout all locations, Hancock Fabrics will rely on its private EarthLink MPLS network to run in-store applications including point-of-sale, inventory management and employee communications and training.