Data & Analytics

nGage Labs, a leading provider of in-store shopper engagement solutions for retailers, has appointed Kelly Gibson as the company’s director of retail engagement solutions.

eBay Enterprise, a leading global provider of commerce technologies, omnichannel operations and marketing solutions for retailers and brands, introduced its latest suite of commerce technologies at its annual client summit.

Domestic same-store sales at AutoZone for the fourth quarter ended Aug. 31 increased 1% — below expectations. The company did have reason to ride high, however, because it also posted its 28th consecutive quarter of double digit growth in earnings per share. 

Diluted earnings per share increased 23.2% to $10.42 per share from $8.46 per share in the year-ago quarter. Moreover, net sales were $3.1 billion for the quarter, a 12% jump from the same quarter last year. 

Eastman Kodak Company has elected James V. Continenza chairman of the board. Continenza has been a Kodak director since April. Kodak CEO Antonio M. Perez remains a member of the board.

“Kodak is a company poised for growth. I look forward to providing leadership as the company realizes its potential as a technology company focused on the packaging, graphic communications, and functional printing markets,” said Continenza.

A recovering housing market spells good news for the home and housewares, as seen in Bed Bath & Beyond’s second quarter results for the period ended Aug. 31.

The company reported net earnings of $1.16 per diluted share, or $249.3 million, for the quarter, an increase of 18.4% versus net earnings of $0.98 per diluted share, or $224.3 million, in the same quarter a year ago.  

New York -- As more dollars are spent online and consumers become savvier in product knowledge and comparison shopping, retailers must rethink their customer experience strategies.

Chain Store Age’s Webinar, “Creating the Ultimate Experience: Research Shows How to Increase Customer Loyalty,” will provide insight into how retailers can capture more revenue through a consistent and well-executed customer experience. Webinar attendees will receive a complimentary research report detailing the full research findings.

Boston — Marketing analytics firm Dunnhumby Tuesday announced it has launched Dunnhumby Ventures, an investment firm that will focus on financing retail technology start-ups.  

The company said the new venture will fund startup businesses that are embracing data for innovations along the consumer’s path to purchase. Average initial investments will be $100,000 to $500,000.

New York -- VeriFone Systems, a leading global secure electronic payments provider, named Paul Galant as CEO and elected him to its board of directors, effective Oct. 1.

Prior to joining VeriFone, Galant served as the CEO of Citigroup Inc.’s Enterprise Payments business. Before that, from 2009, Galant served as CEO of Citi Cards, heading Citigroup’s North American and International Consumer Credit Cards business.

By Laura Wheeler DeYonker, AbsolutData

Recent data from Harris Poll shows that weaknesses in retailers’ pricing, product information and customer service strategies lead 43% of customers to showroom — creating a situation where brick-and-mortar retailers incur all the sales costs and online retailers make the sale.

New York -- Consumer Confidence decreased in September amid resurfacing concerns about the short-term outlook for both jobs and earnings, according to The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index. The index, which had increased slightly in August, now stands at 79.7, down from 81.8 in August. Analysts had expected the index to fall to 79.9 this month.

The Present Situation Index grew to 73.2 from 70.9. The Expectations Index fell to 84.1 from 89.0 last month.