Data & Analytics

With the surge in smartphone and tablet purchases in recent years, and the increasing accessibility of Wi-Fi, there is no surprise that almost 70% of consumers are now shopping online as well as in stores. Among those leading the trend are millennials (ages 18–33) making $75,000 or more a year.

New York -- Retailers across the board, from Victoria’s Secret parent L Brands Inc. and American Eagle Outfitters to Family Dollar Stores and Bed, Bath & Beyond, cut their fourth-quarter earnings forecasts on Thursday as heavy promotions and discounts cut into profits. Results were also impacted by multiple snowstorms, a shortened shopping season and cautious consumers.  

Issaquah, Wash. - Costco Wholesale Club’s same-store sales rose 3% in December, beating analysts' estimates of a 1.8% gain. The metric climbed 5% in the U.S. and inched up 1% overseas for the five weeks ended Jan. 5.

Total monthly revenue increased 6% to $11.53 billion.

For the 18-week period, same-store sales were up 3%. In the U.S. the metric rose 4% and 1% internationally.

Staten Island, N.Y. -- Women’s apparel retailer Cato has made its debut into the world of online shopping with the launch of its first ever e-commerce site. With the help of its implementation partner Celerant Technology, the new website will support the growth of the brand and will offer the same collections as its brick-and-mortar stores, as well as additional sizes, colors and exclusive items.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. -- Stewart’s Shops, a chain of 300 convenience stores offering gasoline and fresh and local dairy products and ice cream, has deployed Paragon Software’s Single Depot solution to automate the planning of daily and seasonal deliveries. Paragon’s software automates the manual process of planning and scheduling deliveries to the retail outlets, lowering mileage, reducing fuel usage, and improving truckload efficiencies.

SAN FRANCISCO – Brick-and-mortar customer analytics provider Euclid is introducing Euclid Express, a free analytics solution that provides retailers with insights into customer behavior and store performance. Using existing Wi-Fi, Euclid allows retailers to assess the offline impact of marketing activities, identify trends in store performance, and improve the overall shopping experience.

Union, N.J. -- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.’s third quarter net earnings rose to $237.2 million, less than Wall Street expected, from $232.8 million in the year-ago period, as higher costs and expenses impacted sales growth. The company trimmed its full-year earnings outlook.

Revenue for the three months ended Nov. 30 rose 6% to $2.87 billion, from $2.7 billion. Same-store sales increased 1.3%.

Philadelphia – Net sales at Urban Outfitters for the two months ended Dec. 31, 2013, increased to $716 million, or 8% from the same period in the previous year. Same-store retail segment net sales, which include the direct-to-consumer channel, increased 3%.

Same-store retail segment net sales increased 21% at Free People and 11% at Anthropologie and decreased 6% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 21%.

Pittsburgh – Total net revenue for American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. decreased 2% to $882 million during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, compared to $904 million for the same quarter a year earlier. Consolidated same-store sales decreased 7%, compared to a 5% increase for the comparable period in 2012.

New York – Barnes & Noble reported decreases in revenue for both its retail and Nook segments during the nine-week 2013 holiday season as compared to the same period in the prior year. The retail segment, which consists of the Barnes & Noble bookstores and BN.com, had revenues of $1.1 billion, decreasing 6.6% from the prior year.