Data & Analytics

Toronto – Shoppers Drug Mart enjoyed a successful second quarter of fiscal 2013, reporting increases in net earnings, sales and same-store sales. Net earnings totaled up $141.8 million USD, up about 1% from $139.9 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Sales were about $2.45 billion, a 3.3% boost from the previous year. Same-store sales rose 2% during the quarter.

Walmart.com is the only conventional retailer to rank in the monthly Top 50 Web Properties report from comScore Media Metrix, but June traffic to the retailer’s site was below year-ago levels even as e-commerce is hailed as the next growth engine.

Austin, Texas – Digital coupon provider RetailMeNot launches its IPO on Friday of 9,090,908 shares of its Series 1 common stock at a price to the public of $21 per share. Shares will be available on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "SALE." Of the shares in the offering, 4,545,454 shares are being offered by RetailMeNot and 4,545,454 shares are being offered by selling stockholders.

NEW YORK — Gilt.com has launched a free rewards program called Gilt Insider Program, which will offer Gilt members opportunities to score points redeemable for a variety of benefits.

Members can earn points simply for interacting with the site, and can then redeem them to shop sales early, earn access to discounts, get free shipping and attend exclusive events.

Dallas – The market for social CRM software, or technology that allows retailers to perform activities such as social monitoring, social listening, social management and social measurement for providing an enhanced customer experience, is set to grow exponentially in the next few years.

According to a new report from RnR Market Research, the social CRM technology market will expand from $1.91 billion in 2013 to $9.08 billion in 2018. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.5% from 2013 to 2018.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Further signs of the nation's recovering housing market were evident in Whirlpool Corporation's reported net earnings of $198 million for the second quarter ended June 30, compared to net earnings of $113 million for the same period last year.

The company's net sales for the quarter were $4.7 billion, compared to $4.5 billion reported during the same period last year. Excluding the impact of foreign currency as well as Brazilian tax credits, sales increased approximately 6%.

Seoul, South Korea – South Korean home shopping retailer NS Shopping is deploying mobile and analytics solutions from IBM to improve its omni-channel customer experience and relationship management.

NS Shopping currently sells its merchandise via television, catalogues and online, and will use IBM Smarter Commerce technology to integrate mobile and social channels into its retail environment.

Sales at Scholastic Corp fell sharply during the company’s fourth quarter ended May 31 and most of the drop was blamed on the waning popularity of the Hunger Games trilogy.

The global children's publishing, education and media company said sales declined to $506.9 million in the fourth quarter compared to $676.6 million last year and earnings per share fell to 76 cents from $1.86 last year.