Data & Analytics

BURLINGTON, Mass. — New Balance is engaging Demandware to power its new e-commerce sites for its New Balance, Warrior, Cobb Hill, Aravon and Dunham brands. New Balance plans to use Demandware to launch additional sites in new international markets and for other brands, including PF Flyers.

July may not be a big month for online shopping, but traffic numbers at Target.com are heading in the wrong direction.

The online audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix reported that Target.com had approximately 25.8 million unique visitors during July 2012 compared to roughly 26.5 million during July 2011. Despite the decline, on a positive note, Target was ranked 46^{th on the firm’s monthly Top 50 Web Properties report, making it the only traditional retailer beside Walmart to appear on the top 50 list.}

Shoppers are hungry for convenience and value and Target continues to deliver both.

Target’s second quarter sales increased 3.5% to $16.5 billion and the company’s profits grew 2.9% to $1.06, five cents better than analysts expected.

The company’s second quarter results were negatively affected by pre-opening expenses related to next year’s entry into Canada. Excluding those expenses, Target said its profits would have increased 4.6% to $1.12 compared to $1.07 last year. Including expenses related to Canada, Target increased its full year profit forecast to a range of $4.20 to $4.40 from an earlier guidance range of $4.10 to $4.30.

Mountain View, Calif. -- Best Buy tops a list of the most effective back-to-school advertisers, according to Ace Metrix, which provides television and video analytics. An ad promoting free kids’ haircuts at J.C. Penney also was a top perfomer.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- Consumers focus on savings when they log in to their digital devices to shop for groceries, according to a new study from Nielsen. The top weekly U.S. activities related to grocery shopping on a connected device, ranging from a mobile phone to  tablet, included reading online grocery circulars (62%), looking for coupons online (55%) and browsing a manufacturer’s website for a grocery category (55%).
 

Minneapolis -- Supervalu announced that it is restructuring its executive leadership team to ensure alignment around the company’s goals and to better drive and execute the company’s business turnaround.

Nashville, Tenn. -- Genesco Inc.'s profit topped estimates for the eighth quarter in a row amid increased store traffic. The company raised its full-year earnings outlook for the second time this year.

Genesco, which operates stores under such banners as Journeys, Lids, Johnston & Murphy and Schuh banners, said its adjusted quarterly profit rose to $12.1 million from $5.2 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue rose 15% to $543.5 million.Same-store sales were up 4%.

NEW YORK — Ralph Lauren has named Christopher Peterson as SVP and CFO. Peterson will assume his new role effective Sept. 24, and his areas of responsibility will include the company’s global finance and information technology organizations. He will report to Roger Farah, president and COO.

Palo Alto, Calif. — Shopkick has been named by the World Economic Forum as one of the world’s most innovative technology startups for 2013. Shopkick is one of two mobile companies selected worldwide.

Previously honored companies include Twitter, Dropbox, Wikipedia, Palantir, Bloom Energy and Google.