Data & Analytics

Salt Lake City -- Overstock.com said Thursday it is launching the Club O Dining Rewards program in partnership with Rewards Network.

The enhancement to the e-retailer’s current loyalty program allows members to automatically receive reward dollars in their Club O account equal to 5% of their total dining bill when they visit participating Club O Dining Rewards restaurants and pay their bill using any credit or debit card they have registered with their Dining Rewards account.   

Atlanta -- Consumer spending reached a three-year low during the month of December, according to a report released Thursday by First Data Corp.

First Data’s SpendTrend tracks same-store consumer spending by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards and checks at U.S. merchant locations.

Miami Beach, Fla. -- Car Charging Group announced Thursday the expansion of its relationship with Walgreens by adding EV charging services to 11 Walgreens locations throughout Ohio in Akron, Canal Winchester, Columbus, Dayton, Franklin, North Canton, and Reynoldsburg.

In 2012, CarCharging launched the rollout of Walgreens EV charging services at eight locations in Kissimmee and Orlando, Fla.

SUFFERN, N.Y. — Ascena Retail Group reported a lower than expected 2% decline in same store sales at physical stores for the November and December holiday period, but managed a 30% increase in online sales.

Combined comparable store and e-commerce sales for the holiday period ended December 29, 2012 increased 1%, prompting Ascena to lower earnings per share guidance for its current fiscal year ending July 27.

Philadelphia -- Urban Outfitters Inc.  said Thursday 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%.

Vista, Calif. -- Consumer electronics recycler E-World Online said Wednesday that it has teamed with Costco Wholesale Corp. on the launch of a national program to make managing merchandise returns more sustainable.

E-World Online’s Retail Return Program will track returned merchandise and find markets for reusable or recyclable products. Costco has implemented, trained and deployed E-World Online’s RRP program in all of its U.S. warehouses, making it the largest such retail return program, according to E-World Online.

Redmond, Wash. – Tesco has chosen Microsoft Office 365 for its companywide collaboration and social platform. The U.K.-based retailer is committed to deploying Office 365 to its employees working at the company's headquarters, in the field and in stores, across all its locations in Europe and Asia.

Total U.S. Shopper Traffic in Retail Stores and Malls for December 2012

Holiday shopping reached its seasonal peak in December, driving a 36.6 percent retail foot traffic increase over November. Further, December 2012 continued a trend of year-over-year improvements in the number of shoppers visiting stores with a 1.2 percent increase in foot traffic when compared to the same month last year.