Data & Analytics

By Ken Nische, [email protected]

There are many trends — practical, psychographic and attitudinal — that are incubating during the retail “reboot” that’s taking place in the U.S. economy. This reboot is affecting all types and sizes of retail, brick-and-mortar and online. The key is putting these trends to work for you.

PHILADELPHIA — Urban Outfitters Inc. said its same-stores sales for the holiday season rose 9%, including its direct-to-consumer business. Excluding that unit, same-store sales fell 1%.

Total company net sales for November and December increased 15% to $666 million.

Among Urban Outfitters’ brands, comparable sales increased 33% at Free People, 10% at Urban Outfitters and 5% at Anthropologie. Direct-to-consumer net sales increased by 38% for the period and wholesale segment net sales increased 21%.

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. — Intel, Samsung and Microsoft were among the six recipients recognized with a 2013 Eggie Award for Partners of the Year.

Presented by Newegg, a leading consumer electronics e-retailer, the Eggies are awarded to vendor partners and customers who have made outstanding contributions and supported Newegg’s growth efforts.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. on Friday reported revenue of $12.8 billion for the nine weeks ended January 5, 2013, compared with $12.9 billion for the nine weeks ended December 31, 2011. Online revenue rose 10%.

Same-store sales were down 1.4%.  Domestic same-store sales were flat, but fell 6.4% internationally.

Washington -- Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 2.3% in January over the same month last year as retailers continue to urge labor and management to avoid a strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast docks, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. A strike would close 14 ports from Maine to Texas where nearly 15,000 dockworkers handle 40% of the nation’s ocean cargo.


ATLANTA — First Data Corporation, a global leader in electronic commerce and payment processing, has announced that CEO Jon Judge plans to retire from the company for health reasons.

First Data offers e-commerce solutions to merchants, financial institutions and their customers. First Data leverages its product portfolio and expertise to drive customer revenue and profitability, and facilitates payment by debit or credit card, gift card, check or mobile phone, online or at the checkout counter.

Strength in the computing, mobile phone and appliance categories enabled Best Buy to report flat same store sales during the holidays and temporarily silence the voice of those who had prematurely written the company’s obituary.

Tysons Corner, Va. -- MicroStrategy Inc. announced that West-coast based specialty retailer Tilly's has launched a state-of-the-art mobile commerce app powered by MicroStrategy's Alert Mobile Commerce Platform.