Data & Analytics

Retailers were already leery about the outlook for consumer spending this holiday season and reports Wednesday of record auto sales in August only add to the concern.

Both Walmart and Target reported disappointing second quarter sales and tempered their outlook for the full year. Conversely, car salespeople across the country were clinking champagne glasses and cashing commission checks as their employers, everyone from Mazda to Honda to Porsche and Ford, said August was a record month.

Atlanta -- FineLine Technologies Inc. is initializing the rollout of FastTrak Analytics, a web-based solution that provides detailed visibility into variable ticketing supply lead times, with Urban Outfitters among the early adopters of the new analytical reporting tool.

New York -- Sam's Club will host a grand opening celebration on Thursday, Sept. 5, at its new location in Anchorage. At 145,000 sq. ft., the new club will be more than 50% bigger than the former Anchorage location.

The new club has been constructed to include many environmentally friendly features. Energy-efficient fixtures, including daylight-harvesting skylights, reduce the amount of energy required to light the club by up to 75% daily.

New York -- Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo has created the free Uniqlo USA app for Apple products. It will be available on Android devices later this year

By using the app’s Virtual Cam on Uniqlo logos and icons, consumers will have access to behind-the-scenes videos, current employment opportunities, “weekly favorites” and a store locator. They will also be the first to know about new arrivals, designer collaborations, special promotions and more.

Alpharetta, Ga. – Seeking to boost the capacity and performance of its data center to handle the real-time decisions needed to meet seasonal demand for its 300 stores, HoneyBaked Ham of Georgia is using HP 3PAR Dynamic Optimization Software and HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage. The solutions nondisruptively add and rebalance capacity and system resources to handle changes in business demand on the fly.

By Scott Welty, [email protected]

The retail industry is in the midst of a massive transformation driven by consumers’ adoption of digital technologies. By 2020, the retail landscape will have fundamentally changed how every retailer will go to market. No segment of retail will be more impacted than the brick-and-mortar store.

Here are seven trends that brick-and-mortar retailers should consider to build a winning strategy:

As we transition into fall, let’s bid a fond farewell to summer 2013 by looking at how Benson’s Homemade Ice Cream, an independent seasonal ice cream parlor in the idyllic community of Boxford, Mass., uses Facebook in ways that larger retailers may want to emulate.

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Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc.’s second-quarter net income dropped to $9.1 million, down from $21.1 million a year earlier, on expenses associated with its spinoff from Sears Holdings Corp. The company also announced that its board approved a $25 million buyback.

Revenue increased 2% to $656.9 million from $644.5 million. Same-store sales rose 1.4%, with an 8.2% increase for the chain’s outlet segment.

Brentwood — GBT Realty Corp. has added four new members to its team.

Ivan Lozina, a 20-year industry veteran has been appointed senior construction manager. Lozina will oversee construction management for new developments in the Shopping Center Division. Prior to joining GBT, Lozina spent 17 years at Benderson Development Company, managing the construction of more than 20 million square feet of commercial real estate.

Jeff Zoss and Scott Simerlein have joined The Grocery Shopping Network, Inc., a provider of digital shopper planning and marketing tools for grocery retailers, consumer packaged goods companies and shoppers.