Data & Analytics

Abilene, Kan. -- Duckwall-Alco Stores reported Friday that its loss for the quarter ended Oct. 31 widened from $1.4 million to $2 million.

The small-town retailer also reported that revenue dropped 0.6% to $110.5 million. Same-store sales decreased 2.3%, which was an improvement over the second-quarter same-store sales drop of 7.2%.

Nashville, Tenn. -- Genesco reported on Friday a criminal intrusion into the portion of its computer network that processes payment card transactions for its U.S. Journeys stores, Journeys Kidz, Shi by Journeys and Johnston & Murphy stores, and for some of its Underground Station stores.

The retailer announced that it took immediate steps to secure the affected part of its network and said it believes the intrusion has been contained.

New York City -- Movie merchandise seller National Entertainment Collectibles said Thursday that it had acquired most of the assets of Movie Gallery, which has been liquidating its Hollywood Video, Movie Gallery and Game Crazy stores.

Movie Gallery, once the nation's second-largest video and game rental chain with 4,000 stores in the United States and Canada, filed for bankruptcy in February. In October, a federal bankruptcy judge in Richmond, Va., approved the auction of its brand names, Internet domain names and customer databases.

MINNEAPOLIS - Target announced its commitment to sustainability and outlined goals it hopes to achieve over the next five years. Target's commitments to environmental sustainability, along with more on Target's sustainability efforts, are available at hereforgood.target.com/environment, the company reported.

New York City -- After five consecutive months of year-over-year declines, overall average tickets grew 0.4% in November, after declining 1.7% in October, according to  First Data. The company’s SpendTrend analysis for November 2010 includes same-store consumer spending via credit, signature debit, PIN debit and EBT cards at U.S. merchant locations, which are compared with November 2009.

New York City -- Whole Foods Market’s store in Lake Grove has become the first supermarket  in the United States to be awarded with both a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council as well as a Three Green Globe certification from the Green Building Initiative.

The store, which opened in March 2010, is the third of Whole Foods Market’s 22 locations in the Northeast region to receive a LEED certification, and the first to be recognized by the Green Building Initiative.

El Segundo, Calif. -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has announced a partnership with REC Solar, a leading solar electric system provider in the United States, to install roof-mount solar systems on nine stores in Arizona. The installation of the systems will begin in March 2011.

The combined 410 kW of installed solar systems will produce an estimated 620,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, the equivalent of reducing 22 million lbs. of CO2 emissions -- or removing 28 million car-driven miles -- over the next 25 years.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Borders Group posted sales of  $470.9 million for its third quarter ended Oct. 30, a decrease of 17.6% from the same period a year ago. Same-store sales declined by 12.6%.

The company posted a loss from continuing operations in the third quarter of $74.4 million, versus a loss $37.7 million a year ago.

Atlanta -- EarthLink announced that it has completed its acquisition of ITC DeltaCom, a leading provider of integrated communications services to customers in the southeastern United States, in a transaction valued at approximately $524 million.

With the close of the transaction EarthLink will begin integrating its New Edge Networks and EarthLink Business Services operations with Deltacom and will market the combined services under the ‘EarthLink Business' brand name.

By Jay Leyden, [email protected]

Today, retail companies have realized that projecting a consistent and positive brand image to their customers is a major factor in achieving customer satisfaction. That means everything from lighting standards and cleanliness to HVAC and exterior landscaping are potentially as important to their brand as, say, their advertising campaign or the quality of their products.