Data & Analytics

Walgreens reported August sales of $6.4 billion, an increase of 3.6% from the same month in fiscal 2013. Total sales for fiscal 2014 were $76.4 billion, an increase of 5.8% from fiscal 2013.
 
Total front-end sales increased 2.1% in August compared with the same month in fiscal 2013, while comparable-store front-end sales increased 1.4%. Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 1.7% while basket size increased 3.1%.
 

New York - Saks Fifth Avenue is launching a user-generated content hub on Saks.com called #SaksStyle. Created by Curalate on its Fanreel image integration platform, #SaksStyle will function as a daily go-to guide for fashion inspiration created solely by Saks customers, highlighting products purchased from Saks Fifth Avenue locations nationwide and online.

Houston -- In a deal that will create a national specialty bedding retail powerhouse, Mattress Firm Holding Corp. has agreed to acquire rival The Sleep Train Inc. for about  $425 million. As part of the deal, Mattress Firm said that it will also assume certain additional liabilities totaling about $15 million.

Sleep Train operates approximately 310 specialty mattress stores, primarily in California, Oregon, and other Western states. It reported net sales of $471 million for the 2013 fiscal year.

For the third year in a row, leading U.S. no-contract cell phone service provider Straight Talk Wireless will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish for every demonstration given at more than 3,000 Walmart stores nationwide on Saturdays in September as part of the “Give A Minute, Help Make-A-Wish” program.

Sterling, Va. - Neustar Inc., a provider of real-time information services and analytics, has entered a partnership with comScore Inc. that will give marketers a unified marketing solution incorporating comScore’s validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) ad validation metrics in its offering. The partnership builds on Neustar PlatformOne’s capabilities and partner ecosystem and enhances its ability to provide marketers with the visibility needed to measure and optimize digital campaigns.

San Francisco -- Costco Wholesale Corp. agreed to pay a $335,000 in penalties federal Clean Air Act violations, according to a settlement announced Wednesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, the retailer will fix refrigerant leaks and make other improvements at 274 of its stores, which EPA estimates will cost about $2 million over the next three years.

New Albany, Ohio – Abercrombie & Fitch has reportedly settled a shareholder lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Columbus, Ohio, regarding its pay of CEO Michael Jeffries, who has received more than $140 million in compensation since 2007. According to Reuters, the settlement with City of Plantation Police Officers' Employees' Retirement System involves no payment to the plaintiff.

By Chris Stoneff, Lieberman Software

My experience in cyber security tells me that the retail sector probably represents the most fertile ground for cyber criminals. That's because professional hackers understand that retail has never focused on IT security to the extent seen in other industries (like banks or payment processors) that handle customer payment card data.