Data & Analytics

A recent Federal Reserve report shows that household finances have regained substantial ground since the Great Recession, driven largely by the run-up in home values and surge in stocks. These positive forces have contributed to the highest level of wealth in our history — the net worth of U.S. households and nonprofits reached $80.7 trillion by the end of 2013.

A central theme of the Oracle Industry Connect conference, held in Boston March 25-26, was “Commerce Anywhere,” or the new customer experience paradigm that requires enabling the consumer to purchase products how they want, when they want and to do so in a connected, nearly seamless fashion. IT also entails delivering targeted assortments, making inventory transparent and accessible to customers and employees in real-time, and integrating the systems supporting retail operations.

Merchant Warehouse, a leading provider of payment technologies, has acquired Opticard, a provider of gift and loyalty programs for organizations worldwide.

Through this acquisition, Merchant Warehouse will offer deeper mobile and digital engagement opportunities for small and mid-sized businesses through an expanded suite of gift, loyalty and prepaid programs.

Francesca’s sales results for the fourth quarter were below its revised guidance, thanks in part to extreme weather conditions, which forced the company to fully or partially close 370 boutiques during January.

Houston -- While 91 new stores boosted sales for the final fiscal quarter and year-end, Francesca’s Holdings Corp. saw net income for the 13-week period ended Feb. 1 slide to $10.6 million, from $14.9 million last year.

Same-store sales fell 6%, swinging from a 10% increase in the prior year quarter. Revenue surged to $92.1 million from $86.7 million, helped by 91 new boutique openings since the prior year quarter.  Five of the 91 opened during the fourth quarter.

Following a disappointing fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Feb. 1, Toys “R” Us hosted investors, industry analysts and the media and outlined its strategy for improving its operational performance and driving profitable growth in the future.

New York -- Facebook has seen the future — through 3D goggles. The social media giant has reached an agreement to acquire hot virtual reality technology start-up Oculus VR for $2 billion. The deal is comprised of $400 million in cash and 23.1 million shares of Facebook stock.  

With Apple’s introduction of Airdrop and iBeacon, shopping mall owners, retailers and brands have turned to Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (BLE) and the newest class of location-based mobile advertising opportunities enabled by the technology. As a leading company invested in delivering mobile ubiquity by integrating Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC and QR, Mobiquity Technologies has release of its partner software development kit (SDK) designed to allow retailers and brands to leverage Mobiquity Networks’ Bluetooth LE Beacon network.