Data & Analytics

Suffern, N.Y. -- Ascena Retail Group’s adjusted fiscal fourth-quarter profit exceeded Wall Street estimates, driven by strong same-store sales at its Lane Bryant division.

Looking ahead, the company, whose brands include Justice, Lane Bryant, Maurices, Dressbarn and Catherines, said it plans to open approximately 180 to 190 stores and close 115 to 125 stores.

Ascena’s net income jumped to $29.8 million for the quarter that ended July 27, compared with net income of $1.6 million in its fourth quarter last year.

Memphis -- AutoZone’s net income for the fourth quarter increased 14.7% to $371.2 million, below estimates. The chain also posted its 28th consecutive quarter of double digit growth in earnings per share.

Revenue rose 12% to $3.1 billion, narrowly exceeding expectations. Domestic same-store sales disappointed with a 1% gain.
 

Harker Heights, Texas — Sam’s Club will open its new Harker Heights, Texas location on Sept. 26 at 8 a.m. The grand opening will feature presentations by the mayor of Harker Heights and the president of the chamber of commerce president. Retired NFL player Ed “Too Tall” Jones will make an appearance from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The new 136,000-sq.-ft. warehouse will bring 175 jobs to the community and feature a fresh bakery, a tire and battery center, a café and a fueling station.

Rock Hill, S.C. — Sam’s Club will open its new Rock Hill, S.C., club on Sep. 26. The grand opening will feature Greg Olsen, tight end for the Carolina Panthers, graffiti artist Reid Bramhall, face painting by Tony the Tiger and a book signing by TV chef and restaurateur Jami Deen.

New York -- Brand marketer mobile budgets surged 142% between 2011 and 2013. The 2013 “Marketer Perspectives on Mobile Advertising” study from IAB and Ovum also shows that three-quarters (74%) of 300 surveyed brand marketing executives who currently use mobile advertising expect that their companies’ mobile advertising spend will increase in the next two years.

Deerfield Park, Ill. – The Walgreen Company won a North American Innovation in Loyalty Marketing award at the recent Colloquy Loyalty Awards. The award recognized Walgreens’ achievements with its Balance Rewards program.

Colloquy cited achievements such as obtaining 72 million members between its September 2012 launch and May 2013, as well as producing a year-over-year sales increase of 4.3% and year-over-year average basket size increase of 4.7% in May 2013.

Irvine, Calif. – Tilly’s, Inc. has partnered with Thanx Media to host and manage its Oracle Endeca implementation. Tilly’s worked closely with Thanx to select and implement the best solution to meet its goals of improved search engine optimization (SEO), site search, and product merchandising within site search results.

East Pennsboro Township, Pa. – Rite Aid has reportedly been ordered to pay $12.3 million in a civil lawsuit accusing the retailer of illegally dumping hazardous waste from more than 600 stores in California. According to the Los Angeles Times, San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda L. Lofthus handed down the ruling in a suit brought against Rite Aid by the district attorneys of San Joaquin, Los Angeles and Riverside counties.

As might be expected from a retail chain that serves as an extension of a technology brand, Microsoft stores are sleek and futuristic. Store layout is open and interactive, with a wide variety of opportunities for shoppers to engage with technology. However, customer-facing technology is limited to products on display, without IT features such as self-service kiosks or electronic shelf labels that can be found at many other stores.

Interactive Promotional Display

By Joe Easley, Sr. Director, Business Development & Product Strategy, Kobie Marketing

As retailers continue their quest for deepening customer engagement, they’ll often turn to a loyalty program. Yet high membership numbers are deceiving because engagement levels are actually stagnant. This poses the question, are loyalty programs right for every brand? How do brands choose the right strategy for customer engagement and the overall integration of the loyalty program within the brand?