Data & Analytics

New York -- Consumers worldwide are increasingly using multi-platform devices, especially mobile, to enhance their in-store shopping experience, according to a study by global digital and technology agency DigitasLBi.

In the study, "Connected Commerce: A Snapshot of the Modern Shopper,” 71% of Americans say that using a mobile phone while shopping inside a store could affect their buying decisions.

Los Angeles -- Guitar Center's total debt has been reduced by approximately $500 million and annual cash interest expense has been reduced by more than $70 million. The improved financial position of the company will enable Guitar Center's management team to further invest in its people, store base and brands to accelerate growth.

Asset protection has been given a high priority at Family Dollar where the operator of more than 8,000 stores said it plans to equip each of its locations with electronic article surveillance (EAS) equipment from Checkpoint Systems.

Checkpoint’s technology is already in 3,500 stores and the rollout, said to be one of the fastest in the retail industry, is occurring at a clip of about 120 stores each week.

Sydney, Australia -- Multi-brand retailer Atlantic Brands is using Lyris’ digital marketing platform to boost sales and customer engagement for its Australian division. With Lyris, Atlantic Brands plans to increase repeat purchases and overall revenues by gleaning customer insights from online and offline activity.

Cardtronics has extended its ATM services agreement with Walgreens, the company announced Wednesday. Cardtronics is a preferred provider of ATM services for Walgreens.  

Since the relationship began in 2004, Cardtronics has grown its ATM presence in Walgreens locations significantly — from fewer than 400 initially to roughly 3,250 today. The company is also the exclusive ATM provider for Walgreens in many states across the U.S.

Camp Hill, Pa. -- For the four weeks ended March 29, 2014, same-store sales at Rite Aid increased 0.7% from the prior-year period. March front-end same-store sales decreased 5%, with 4.1% of the decrease attributable to a shift in the timing of Easter, which falls on April 20 in 2014 compared to March 31 in the prior year.

Total drugstore sales for the four-week period increased 0.4% to $1.95 billion, compared to $1.94 billion for the same period last year.

The field of retail asset protection — like other aspects of the industry — is undergoing significant change as a host of complex new challenges related to data security and rapidly advancing technology join longstanding challenges related to workplace safety and shrink. 

Mountain View, Calif. -- IndoorAtlas Is releasing an indoor mapping application for the Apple iOS mobile operating system and licensing it to retailers. The software-only solution can provide accuracy within six feet inside any building without additional hardware. I