Data & Analytics

New York – There were increases in total time to live agent, a metric that measures how long it takes o reach a human customer service representative, including time spent navigating interactive voice response systems (IVRs), during the initial aftermath of the December 2013 Target data breach.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holdings Corp. forecast a fourth-quarter loss and reported declining sales during the crucial holiday period.

Last year, Cedar Realty Trust shook off the last vestiges of its recession. Upon taking the reins of Cedar, new president and CEO Bruce Schanzer set in motion a short-term strategic plan in third quarter 2011. The plan was to sell nearly half of the company’s 140 properties owned in 2011 and streamline its property-type and geographic focus, while reducing leverage over the following two years. While the results for 2013 are being tallied now, performance during the first three quarters suggest a very good year of solid results.

The few blocks surrounding the Honolulu intersection of Kalakaua and Ka’iulani Avenues boasts the highest pedestrian traffic in the world-renowned Waikiki retail district. The count exceeds 22,000 visitors per day. And it is rising as recovering international economies enable tourists from around the world — and especially from the Asia-Pacific countries of Japan, China and South Korea — to respond to the beckoning call of Hawaii’s Big Island of Oahu.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. on Friday cuts its profit forecast on the heels of disappointing fourth quarter same-store sales. The retailer also disclosed that its previously announced data breach involved many more people was much wider than it initially thought.

New York -- Sales for the November-December holiday period increased 3.0%, based on a tally of monthly reporting firms compiled by the International Council of Shopping Centers. The rise came despite the extreme weather across much of the United States during prime holiday shopping time, and a shortened holiday season.

The nightmare continued for Target on Friday as worse than expected fourth quarter same store sales prompted the company to slash its profit forecast while it made troubling new disclosures about the theft of information involving 70 million customers.

A majority of consumers find point-of-sale (POS) prompts, such as discount alerts on their mobile devices an invasion of their privacy, according to a recent website poll from CompuCom.

Respondents were asked, “Do you find point-of-sale technology prompts, such as a customized alert for discounts upon entering a store.” Sixty-three percent said it is Big Brother-ish/intrusive while 37% said it is helpful and cool.

The poll collected 307 responses from IT professionals across multiple industries from Nov. 16, 2013 through Dec. 17, 2013.

Declining sales at Sears during the holiday period prompted the company to announce that it anticipates a fourth-quarter loss.

The company expects a net loss of between $250 million and $360 million for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $460 million a year earlier. Same-store sales dropped 5.7% in the quarter through Jan. 6 at Kmart, and 9.2% at U.S. Sears stores , resulting in a for a companywide decline of 7.4%.

Jewelry retailers had mixed sales results during the crucial holiday period.

Tiffany & Co. reported that worldwide net sales in the two months ended Dec. 31 increased 4% to $1.03 billion. Total sales in the Americas region rose 6% to $550 million.

Same-store sales rose 7% due to broad-based sales growth across most of the region. Tiffany is now offering guidance of earnings per diluted share expected to be in a range of $1.27-$1.37 for the fiscal 2013 ending January 31, 2014.