Data & Analytics

Purchase, N.Y. -- Apparel continued to show gains in July, while housing-related sectors such as electronics, appliances, and furniture remained sluggish, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales. (The data estimates total U.S. retail sales across all payment forms including cash and check.)

In other findings, auto parts and service posted its first decline after five months of growth.

New York City -- CVS Caremark said Thursday its profit dipped 1% in the second quarter to $816 million as its pharmacy benefits management business weathered lower prices on contract renewals. Revenue rose 11% to $26.63 billion from $24.01 billion.

Revenue from CVS drugstores increased 3.6% to $14.83 billion. Same-store sales were up 2%, with pharmacy sales up 2.6%  and front-end revenue up 0.8%.

CVS opened 41 stores during the second quarter and operated 7,266 retail drugstores at the end of the period.

New York City -- Sally Beauty Holdings on Thursday said that its fiscal third-quarter profit increased 68% as sales rose while it held its expenses in line.

The beauty retailer posted net income of $69.1 million for the three months ended June 30, compared with $41.1 million a year earlier. Revenue rose 13% to $837 million.

Sales at Sally Beauty Supply stores rose 11% to $517.2 million. Same-store sales gained 6.1%. The division had 3,123 stores at the end of the quarter.

El Segundo, Calif. -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has added 25 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to its distribution fleet as part of a partnership with Ryder System. The new vehicles produce 20% to 30% less emissions than comparable diesel vehicles and are part of the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions.

New York City -- The nation’s specialty apparel retailers reported mixed results in July. as Hot Topic and Limited Brands turned in strong performances, while Gap and Aeropostale stumbled.

Hot Topic said its same-store sales rose 7.3% in July. far exceeding the 0.5% rise in analysts’ forecast. Hot Topic said the measure rose 6.2% at its namesake stores and rose 11.8% at its plus-sized Torrid division. The teen retailer also raised its second-quarter outlook.

By Scott Zimmerman

The days of collecting customer feedback through an annual survey are over.  Today, retailers are utilizing online and mobile tools that not only serve as “real-time” feedback mechanisms, but also act as bustling hubs of customer conversations and activity online.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy once again has boosted its rewards program with a new digital savings option that allows customers to send coupons directly to their loyalty card.

The company said that the "Send to Card" option provides ExtraCare cardholders, who have opted in to receive ExtraCare emails, with the option to send select coupons directly to their ExtraCare cards for automatic, digital in-store redemption, eliminating the need to print those coupons at home and submit paper copies at the register.

BERLIN, N.J. — A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts saw sales for its second quarter decrease 0.8% to $99 million from $99.9 million last year. According to the company, the decrease was primarily due to a decrease in comparable-store sales of 0.7%. Net loss for the quarter was $7.9 million, or 32 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $9.7 million, or 40 cents per share in the second quarter of last year.

PLANO, Texas — Dr Pepper Snapple Group has announced that Carolyn Ross, VP investor relations, will assume leadership of the company’s investor relations function, reporting directly to CFO Marty Ellen.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Things are tough out West. Just ask Big 5 Sporting Goods, which reported another quarter of disappointing results as it continues to buck strong headwinds in the 12 Western states where its 395 stores are located.