Data & Analytics

CINCINNATI — Aero Fulfillment Services, a national provider of e-commerce fulfillment solutions, is bringing back Jamie Hudgens, this time as product manager for Aero’s new freight management service, SmartShip.

Hudgens was most recently a regional director for the East Coast at Sunburst Analysis, advising clients on cost reduction. He was director of business development for Aero from 2005-2009. In his new role, Hudgens will build out the service to include inbound, outbound, LTL, container, rail and small parcel freight services. 

A new brand identity now adorns the GSI Commerce business eBay acquired two years ago for $2.4 billion.

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Facebook on Thursday announced the launch of a video feature for its photo-sharing app, Instagram. The new feature, which allows users to share video clips lasting up to 15 seconds, is seen as a direct shot at Twitter, which acquired short video start-up Vine last year.

Similar to photos, the Instagram videos will show up on a user's profile and will be available immediately on both Apple’s iOs platform and Google’s Android devices.

By Bill Leber, Swisslog

E-commerce is fundamentally changing the nature of the retail supply chain. As online shopping continues to compete with and, in many instances, overtake brick-and-mortar retail, traditional retailers are looking for more and more ways to expand their multichannel operations.

By Ben Anderson and Luge Pravda  

With an estimated 20 new TLDs (Top Level Domains, which is the suffix to the right of the dot) being launched on a weekly basis from August 2013, it’s time for retail brand owners to stop and think about their domain strategy once again.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Company reported better-than-expected net income of $481 million during the first quarter of this year, up nearly 10% from $439 million in the first quarter of 2012. The company also raised its forecast for annual earnings.

Total sales increased 3.4% from $29.1 billion to $30 billion and a 3.3% increase in same-store sales beat analyst projections of a 2.8% increase.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl’s is easing the continuous integration (CI) process for its omni-channel initiatives with the implementation of the Qubell Adaptive PaaS solution. Available as a hosted platform, Adaptive PaaS provides Kohl’s with continuous application deployment, continuous testing and environment management. Specific tasks Kohl’s has executed using Adaptive PaaS include automating the front end of its development process, integrating with various technology stacks and providing developers with near-real-time feedback on their work.

Mountain View, Calif. – In a new report, “The Four Mobile Traps,” usability testing service firm UserTesting.com identifies four common mistakes retailers make when attempting to perform mobile commerce. Following is a brief summary of each “trap:”

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples has launched an "omni-channel" retail concept, opening a location in Norwood, Mass., and Dover, Del. The new format incorporate Staples online and mobile assets into the retail experience.

Kroger trounced first quarter sales and profit forecasts, posting a 3.3% gain in identical store sales that drove a 92 cent a share profit.

Total sales increased 3.4% to $30 billion and the 3.3% gain in identical store sales was well ahead of analysts’ forecast of 2.8% growth. It was the company’s 38th consecutive quarter of positive identical store sales growth. Net income increased 9.6% to $481 million which translated to per share profit of 92 cents that was four cents better than the 88 cents analysts’ forecast.