Data & Analytics

Seattle - Blue Nile Inc. has launched a new mobile shopping app available in Apple's App Store, which now includes augmented reality on the app's "Dream Box" feature, allowing consumers to virtually "try on" a Blue Nile engagement ring from an iPhone.

More than 362,000 votes were cast online in an innovative approach Walmart used to determine how $3.7 million in donations would be allocated among food banks nationwide.

Morrisville. N.C. – Same-store sales soared at Amazon.com and EBay during September 2014. According to e-commerce technology provider ChannelAdvisor, Amazon's September same-store sales growth came in at 37.9%, a decrease compared to August's 45.1%.  

Even with a decrease from August to September, 37.9% is more than twice the growth rate of e-commerce.

Texas and the Carolinas drove the strongest sales at Stein Mart in September, while California, Arizona and the Northeast performed lower than the chain.

The company reported total sales for the five-week period ended Oct. 4 of $119.4 million, a 6.5% increase over total sales of $112.2 million for the prior-year period. Comparable store sales increased 4.9%.

Year-to-date total sales increased 3.1% to $832.9 million from $807.8 million for the prior-year period. Comparable store sales increased 2.4%.

Scottsdale, Ariz. -- GoDaddy and Spree Commerce announced the launch of the GoDaddy Online Store for small businesses.

With Spree technology supporting the backend, this new GoDaddy offering will make it truly simple for small businesses worldwide to start selling online using e-commerce.

The companies first announced collaboration in February of this year. The GoDaddy Online Store has been available in beta since. More than 5,000 merchants have opened stores and sold millions of dollars of products and services, all over the world.

A decrease in same-store sales and losses resulting from Destination Maternity’s continued efforts to close underperforming stores fueled a net sales decline in the fourth quarter — just two months after Anthony Romano came on board as CEO.

Net sales at Destination Maternity dropped 5% to $122 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, from $128.3 million the same quarter a year earlier. Same-store sales, including Internet sales, declined 5%. Sales results were below previously released guidance.

Atlanta -- United Parcel Service Inc. said it will expand UPS My Choice and the UPS Access Point network, two of the company’s services that work together to provide online shoppers and global retailers with new personalized solutions to manage residential package deliveries.

UPS My Choice, the customizable online and mobile service where consumers choose delivery preferences and more, will now be available to consumers in 15 additional countries throughout North America and Europe. The service was introduced in the U.S. in 2011.

Following September sales that were above its guidance, Cato Corporation is increasing its third-quarter guidance.

The company reported sales of $79.7 million for the five weeks ended Oct. 4, a 9% increase over sales of $72.9 million for the five weeks ended Oct. 5, 2013. Same-store sales for the five-week period increased 5% from the prior year.

Sales for the 35 weeks ended Oct. 4 were $669.5 million, up 7% from the same period last year. The company's year-to-date same-store sales increased 4% from the prior year.