Data & Analytics

Woonsocket, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp.’s first-quarter earnings rose a better-than-expected 23% as new generic drugs and demand for flu medications helped the company’s profitability. The chain narrowed its 2013 guidance to reflect higher-than-expected performance.

For the first quarter, CVS earned $956 million, up from $776 million in last year's quarter.   

Companywide revenue slipped 0.1% to $30.76 billion, but exceeded the $30.36 billion that Wall Street expected.

El Segundo, Calif. -- Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. reported upticks in net income, sales and same store sales for first quarter fiscal 2013. Net income grew from $156,000 to $7.5 million.
     
Net sales were $246.5 million, up from $218.3 million a year earlier, while same-store sales rose 10.5%. First quarter sales improved despite the negative impact of the calendar shift of the Easter holiday, when the retailer’s stores are closed.
       

Columbia, S.C. -- Golfsmith International is opening its first South Carolina store, in the state capital of Columbia, with a grand opening celebration on May 3 to May 5.
   
The 23,500-sq.-ft. store is part of Golfsmith's aggressive growth strategy in the Carolinas. Adding to its current Raleigh location, the company recently expanded with new stores in Charlotte and Greensboro — with another new store opening in Myrtle Beach later this spring.

SAN FRANCISCO — Mobile solutions provider Moovweb has added fashion retailer Charlotte Russe to its list of customers using its cloud-based experience platform. 

E-commerce was labeled Walmart’s next growth engine by Neil Ashe, the retailer’s president and CEO of global e-commerce during an investor presentation Wednesday morning.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The year appears to be off to a good start and CVS Caremark executives were optimistic Wednesday morning as the company pulled in a “strong” first quarter and narrowed its 2013 guidance to reflect higher-than-expected performance.

In the 18 months since I joined the National Retail Federation, I’ve been struck repeatedly by how rapidly our industry continues to evolve. As we all know, retail has always changed and adapted — and in just the past 20 years we’ve advanced from then-radical game changer Amazon.com to more recent models like Hointer, which boasts what amounts to online shopping in a store. 

Following the second warmest retail May in 2012, this year will trend colder, especially across the Eastern half of the nation. Colder temperatures in the East will cause a dip in year-over-year demand for seasonal products like apparel, sun care, cold beverages, lawn and garden supplies, ice cream and fans/air conditioners. May 2013 is setting up to be a more active month for severe weather than last year with the highest risk periods in early May and again during retail week three. Localized demand for chainsaws and other clean-up products will be needed in the South and Midwest.

ATLANTA, Ga. — Red Book Connect, a global service-driven technology solutions company serving the retail, restaurant and hospitality industries, has appointed Larry A. Abramson as its CEO, a previously unfilled position since the formation of the company in January 2013.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. reported upticks in net income, sales and same store sales for first quarter fiscal 2013. Net income grew from $156,000 to $7.5 million.

Net sales were $246.5 million, up from $218.3 million a year earlier, while same-store sales rose 10.5%. First quarter sales improved despite the negative impact of the calendar shift of the Easter holiday, when the retailer’s stores are closed.