Data & Analytics

By Randy Dunn, Director of Global Sales & Professional Services, Tyco Retail Solutions

During the last decade, RFID has been pronounced dead several times. It’s been mocked and criticized. It’s been shelved and tabled. Yet, there has been no substitute technology offering the same unparalleled benefits.  

Atlanta -- Small businesses are optimistic with regards to the upcoming holiday season, with 41% of businesses expecting a much stronger holiday season in 2013 than 2012, according to a survey by Kabbage, an online provider of working capital.

Small businesses also plan to increase their borrowing for the remainder of 2013 in order to meet the robust demand, the survey reported.  

Other key findings from the survey include:

SAN JOSE, Calif. — VeriFone Systems has launched GlobalBay Merchant, a point-of-sale software platform and support infrastructure designed to help ISOs and acquirers provide tablet POS solutions to small and medium businesses.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General reported record sales, operating profit and net income for its second quarter ended Aug. 2, driven, in part, by the company’s newly introduced tobacco products and strong sales of perishables and candy and snacks.

The company’s net income increased 15% to $245 million in the quarter, from $214 million in the year-ago quarter, and earnings per diluted share of $0.75 in the quarter increased 17% over EPS of $0.64 in the year-ago quarter. 

Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General reported record net income and sales for the second quarter of this year. In addition, same-store sales growth beat analyst estimates by almost a full percentage point.

Net income increased by 15% to $245 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, compared to net income of $214 million in the second quarter of the prior fiscal year. Net sales increased 11.3% to $4.39 billion, compared to $3.95 billion in the second quarter of the previous year. Analysts had expected net sales of $4.36 billion.

Dallas – Neiman Marcus is introducing a redesigned blog entitled, the blog. This replaces the brand's existing blog, NMdaily.

Brussels, Belgium – Delhaize Group has named Franz Muller as CEO, effective Nov. 8. Muller will succeed Pierre-Olivier Beckers, who will remain available to advise the new CEO until year-end and continue to serve on the board of directors in a non-executive capacity thereafter.

Muller, 52, has more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in retail, most recently as a member of the management board of Metro AG and CEO of Metro Cash & Carry. He will start with Delhaize on Oct. 14, prior to assuming the role of CEO.

Redwood City, Calif. -- Online fashion retailer Revolve is leveraging the eCommera Dynamic Action solution to perform daily analysis of a broad set of data points. By analyzing disparate information ranging from search and affiliate data to merchandising and shipping data on a unified basis, Revolve seeks to improve its business decision-making.