Data & Analytics

Walmart overcame a meager 1% same stores sales increase at U.S. stores to deliver better than expected fourth quarter profits on Thursday.

The company said total sales increased 3.9% to $127.1 billion compared to $122.3 billion last year. Without the benefit of a favorable currency exchange situation, sales would have increased a lesser 3.7% to $126.8 billion. Full year sales increased by 5% to $466.1 billion compared to last year’s total of $443.8.

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Managing and classifying enterprise data is the number one security and privacy area in need of improvement, and remains a major challenge for IT departments, according to a survey about IT risk factors for 2013 published by global consulting firm Protiviti.

The 2013 IT Priorities Survey found that IT executives are struggling to manage the wide variety of technology risk, regulatory compliance and performance challenges that now face them.

DALLAS — Zale Corp. reported that revenues for its second quarter rose 1.1% to $7 million from $664 million last year.

“The growth achieved in the quarter was driven by our exclusive, branded collections. Further expanding these products and supporting them with compelling marketing and training is an important part of our growth strategy,” commented Theo Killion, CEO.

For the second quarter of fiscal 2013, comparable-store sales increased 2.8%. This increase follows a 5.8% rise in the same period last year. 

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s announced that Lara Lee will join the company as SVP customer experience design, effective Feb. 25. She will report to Robert J. (Bob) Gfeller, customer experience design executive.
 
Lee joined Lowe’s from global design and innovation firm Continuum, where she served as chief innovation and operating officer.

Lee will be responsible for translating business strategies into integrated, multichannel experiences that deliver value to home improvement consumers.

Dallas -- Zale Corp. on Thursday posted a better than expected second quarter profit as sales rose at its namesake chain and it cut selling and administrative costs. The company restated its forecast that it will return to profit for its current fiscal year, which ends in late July.

Net profit in the quarter ended January 31, 2012, rose to $41.2 million, compared with $28.8 in the year-ago period.

Revenues rose 1.1% to $671 million. Overall same-store sales increased 2.8%, with a 3.6% increase at Zales and Zales Outlets.
 

Jim Farrell has joined Stratacache’s interactive media subsidiary enVu to lead the sales effort for a new gestural ad network with intriguing retail applications.

Farrell will be responsible for building and overseeing the sales efforts for enVu’s five North American sales regions including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit and will focus on cultivating a successful sales and customer service team.

One of the largest dividend increases in Walmart’s history helped shareholders look past, temporarily at least, yesterday’s release of sales results that show a disturbing trend at U.S. stores.

SEATTLE — Sears' online marketplace will be the subject of a webinar on Feb. 26 hosted by Mercent, a technology company that enables retailers to profitably reach and convert more shoppers online.

Titled "Selling on Sears.com - Your Access to more than 15 Million Loyal Shoppers," the webinar will discuss Sears.com's role as the third largest online marketplace and how its expanding its reach and visibility against Amazon.com, eBay and Google.