Data & Analytics

New York City -- A Tuesday report by Venture Beat said that Sephora is testing an iPad program in 20 stores during the month of March.

Sephora’s goal, according to the report, is to provide extra product details that could only be offered through the Internet, such as reviews and specific product information.

“We see a high overlap between Apple products and our consumers,” Julie Bornstein, senior VP for Sephora Direct, told VentureBeat.
 

Chain Store Age editor-in-chief Marianne Wilson and I go to great lengths to report new store openings on Chainstoreage.com. We pore through convoluted retail financial statements – sometimes twice daily – to uncover news that a chain has its sights set on even a little net new store growth for the year ahead.

I reported earlier today that Urban Outfitters, despite a challenging fourth quarter that saw profits cut nearly in half from the year before, was planning as many as 60 new stores in fiscal 2013.

Anaheim, Calif. -- Pacific Sunwear of Calif. Inc. reported Tuesday that its loss for the quarter ended Jan. 28 widened to $38.1 million, compared with a net loss of $35.2 million a year earlier. Sales dipped 1% to $234.2 million from $237.6 million, missing Wall Street’s expected revenue of $245.9 million.

PacSun has been in the throes of a right-sizing effort, working to build sales while closing underperforming stores. The company closed 87 stores during fourth quarter and ended fiscal 2011 with 733 stores.

Burlington, Ontario -- Ikea Canada said that it has turned its focus to sustainability in Canada during a period of expansion in the country.

As the retailer opens three stores this year in Canada, it said it is committed to having this new wave of stores be 40% more efficient than the last store built in 2004.

Birmingham, Ala. -- Books-A-Million reported Wednesday that profit for the quarter ended Jan. 28 edged up to $7.6 million, from $6.7 million a year earlier.

Sales increased 10.7% to $166.9 million, from $150.8 million. Same-store sales declined 5.7%.

During the quarter, the retailer said it incurred costs of $1.6 million related to the closing of 21 underperforming locations and the opening of 41 new Bam! stores in October and November.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway has given Steve Frisby, the added responsibility of the company's Seattle division after the exit of the current president, Greg Sparks. Frisby, who joined Safeway in 1972, currently serves as the president of its Portland, Ore., division.

WASHINGTON — Retail sales continue to rise for 2012 as the U.S. Census Bureau reported results of February sales on Tuesday.

U.S. retail and food services sales for February, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $407.8 billion, an increase of 1.1% from the previous month and 6.5% above the year-ago period. Retail trade sales were up 1.1% from last month and 6.3% above last year.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation released information on Tuesday that showed a year-over-year retail sales rise of 8.6% in February, marking 20 consecutive months of sustained growth.

The seasonally adjusted increase -- stronger than expected -- was 0.5%, which excludes automobiles, gas stations and restaurants.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates said that import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 10% in March compared with the same month last year. And, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker, year-over-year gains should continue through mid-summer.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. said Tuesday that Steve Frisby, president of its Portland division, will assume added responsibility for the company's Seattle division.

Frisby replaces Greg Sparks, who is leaving to pursue another business opportunity.