Data & Analytics

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s announced that Lara Lee will join the company as SVP customer experience design, effective Feb. 25. She will report to Robert J. (Bob) Gfeller, customer experience design executive.
 
Lee joined Lowe’s from global design and innovation firm Continuum, where she served as chief innovation and operating officer.

Lee will be responsible for translating business strategies into integrated, multichannel experiences that deliver value to home improvement consumers.

One of the largest dividend increases in Walmart’s history helped shareholders look past, temporarily at least, yesterday’s release of sales results that show a disturbing trend at U.S. stores.

Dallas -- Zale Corp. on Thursday posted a better than expected second quarter profit as sales rose at its namesake chain and it cut selling and administrative costs. The company restated its forecast that it will return to profit for its current fiscal year, which ends in late July.

Net profit in the quarter ended January 31, 2012, rose to $41.2 million, compared with $28.8 in the year-ago period.

Revenues rose 1.1% to $671 million. Overall same-store sales increased 2.8%, with a 3.6% increase at Zales and Zales Outlets.
 

SAN FRANCISCO — Mobile shopping platform ShopSavvy has launched a revamped version of its QR Code Reader and Scanner application to give mobile-device users access to even more information about products and retailers an additional avenue to leverage a powerful technology.

New York -- As shares of his company reached an all-time high, fashion designer and retailer Michael Kors will sell 3 million of his shares as part of a secondary offering of 25 million shares, according to a Tuesday regulatory filing.

Kors' ownership in Michael Kors Holdings Inc. will fall to about 4.8 million shares, or 2.4%, down from 3.9% after the sale.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. and BOCA RATON, Fla. — The office retail field narrowed Wednesday, as OfficeMax and Office Depot officially announced an agreement to merge into a single company. The combined company would have had pro forma combined revenue for the 12 months ended Dec. 29, 2012 of approximately $18 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, OfficeMax stockholders will receive 2.69 Office Depot common shares for each share of OfficeMax common stock.

New York -- Foot Locker announced that its board of directors has approved a $220 million capital expenditure program for 2013. The amount marks a significant increase over the approximately $163 million spent on in 2012.

The company said it plans to invest in such growth initiatives as including new and innovative store formats; continued expansion in Europe; technology to improve its customers' experience; and robust capabilities for its digital segment.

ROCKFORD, Mich. — Outdoor and sports apparel manufacturer Wolverine Worldwide reported that its consolidated fourth fiscal quarter revenue was $652.2 million, growth of 60.5% versus the prior year.

In the fourth quarter, excluding non-recurring transaction and integration expenses, earnings per share were 48 cents compared with the company's prior guidance of 12 cents to 22 cents per share.