Data & Analytics

New York -- Amazon will cement its position as major retail price setter for years to come by exploiting its logistics opportunity, according to a new ResearchFarm report.

New York -- Jewelry sales are expected to grow more than 11% in the second quarter and 9% overall this year, according to a new IBM Big Data-based forecast.

According to the analysis, improved consumer confidence, lower unemployment and enhanced stock dividends from fourth quarter 2012 have combined to leave people ready to start spending on luxury items again, like jewelry.

Total U.S. Shopper Traffic in Retail Stores and Malls for March 2013

Shopper activity increased last month with the Easter holiday and students on spring break. March retail foot traffic increased 25.8% compared with February 2013, continuing positive month-over-month retail traffic trends. Foot traffic for March 2013 increased 1.5% compared with the same month in 2012. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Shortly after announcing the opening of its first firearms store in Minnesota, Gander Mountain came out with a new online and social media initiative aimed at promoting responsible gun ownership.

As part of its “With Rights Comes Responsibility; Secure Your Firearms” initiative, Gander Mountain today launched www.ResponsibilityPledge.com, where firearms owners and those thinking of becoming an owner can take a pledge of personal responsibility.

Boston -- Walmart Canada and Target Canada are very competitively positioned from a basket price perspective, according to a recent report by Kantar Retail.  

Based on the study’s results, Kantar Retail believes that Target’s “Pay Less” consumables prices will stack up well against its Canadian competition and that the retailer will prove to be a formidable challenge to Walmart Canada’s price position in the market.  

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company announced that it has appointed Matthew Ryan as global chief strategy officer. Ryan was previously SVP of global brand, franchise and customer relationship management for The Walt Disney Company.

Whether you are a retail analyst or a casual observer, it can be all too easy to get lost in the negativity of recent store closings and retail bankruptcies.

San Francisco -- More than half of Americans shop and spend money to improve their moods, according to a new survey.

The study, by Ebates.com, found that 63.9% of women engage in “retail therapy,” compared with 39.8% of men, and the belief that it improves moods was found among 39.2% of women, compared with 20.6% of men. The survey was conducted online by TNS Global and included 1,000 adults.

ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Revionics, a provider of end-to-end merchandise optimization solutions, that it has named John Greenfield as SVP global business development. Greenfield has been successfully serving as Revionics’ VP channels and alliances. In his new role, Greenfield will be responsible for identifying, creating, and growing strategic global partnerships and alliances that will support accelerated revenue growth for the company.

ECRM compared retail circular advertising in March 2012 vs. March 2013 and noticed some common overall trends across top retail chains. Surprisingly the total number of pages per circular increased across the majority of retailers included in the study which shows that retailers are still focused heavily on their print circulars.