Data & Analytics

New York – Improvements in real home prices, initial unemployment claims and real wages drove an increase in the Deloitte Consumer Spending Index last month. The Index, which comprises four components of tax burden, initial unemployment claims, real wages and real home prices, rose slightly in May to 4.27 from a reading of 4.12 the previous month.

ROANOKE, Va. — Advance Auto Parts has promoted Jon Dehne to SVP of market availability, inventory management and merchandise operations. 

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys "R" Us reported a loss of $111 million for the first quarter, compared with a year-earlier loss of $60 million. It was the struggling chain’s worst quarter in a decade.

Net sales for the quarter, ended May 4, declined 7.8% to $2.4 billion. Same-store sales were down 8.4% domestically and fell 5.8% internationally.

Overall economic growth in Europe is slower than in the U.S., but the opposite is true when it comes to e-commerce sales, according to figures published by Internet Retailer.
 
U.S. e-commerce sales grew 15.9% to $225.54 billion in 2012 from $194.61 billion the prior year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce while the Centre for Retail Research in the U.K. said European e-commerce sales increased 16.6% to $302.2 billion from 260.4 billion.

Calabasas, Calif. -- Broader regional economic growth and improved consumer and retailer finances bode well for retail real estate investments in well-located properties, according to “The Retail Outlook” from Marcus & Millichap Research Services’ second quarter 2013 mid-year outlook for the national retail market and U.S. economy.

Reduced landfill waste, fewer accidents and increased sales from environmentally friendly products were among the accomplishments Kimberly-Clark touted in its 10th annual sustainability report.

The company’s report, a comprehensive overview progress against its sustainability and corporate responsibility efforts, highlights significant developments in key areas of people, planet and products. Kimberly-Clark manufacturers some of the worlds best known brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend.

Walnut Creek, Calif. – A new study from RSR Research concludes that retailers offering multiple selling channels connect more with consumers and are more profitable than retailers operating a single channel. Virtually every cross-channel selling tactic is being employed by retailers more this year than in 2012, with particularly strong growth in mobile.

DENVER — ShopAtHome.com, a coupon and cash back search engine used by more than 19 million consumers each month, has upgraded its tablet app to address the online shopping needs of a fast-growing number of tablet users.

The updated tablet app for iOS and Android provides a personalized shopping and savings experience based on a consumer's previous behavior.