Data & Analytics

New York -- More than half (53%) of middle market executives believe that their companies are on solid ground, according to a survey by CIT Group Inc., a leading provider of financing to small businesses and middle market companies. (In order to be eligible to participate in the survey, respondents had to be in a leadership role at firms with revenues between $25 million and $1 billion, the majority of whose employees were based in the United States.)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Dollar General is the overall basket price leader, delivering a substantial savings to value shoppers, according to Kantar Retail's second annual opening price point survey. Walgreens, for the second year, had the most expensive total basket, driven by sharply higher edible and nonedible grocery baskets.

Columbus, Ohio -- Domino’s Pizza’s new “Pizza Theater” store design, developed in partnership with strategic branding and design firm Chute Gerdeman, brings the art and skill of pizza-making front and center.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- The Kronos Retail Labor Index (RLI) rose to 4.5% in September, the highest reading in four years. (The Index is defined as the ratio of hires to applications within a given month, expressed as a percentage. A level of 3.0% means that for every 100 applications received, three hires occurred.)

Total U.S. shopper traffic in retail stores and malls for September 2012

The end of back-to-school shopping in the U.S. led to a significant drop in foot traffic this past month. September saw a 13.1% decrease in retail foot traffic compared to August. However, this past month continued a streak of year-over-year improvements. September 2012 foot traffic increased 12.9% when compared with the same month last year.

CINCINNATI — Kroger was honored by the Alliance to Save Energy this week. The company received the group's top award, the "Galaxy" Star of Energy Efficiency.

"We are honored to receive this recognition from the Alliance to Save Energy," said David Dillon, Kroger's chairman and chief executive officer. "This is a real tribute to Kroger's 339,000 associates who bring our energy saving programs to life every day. We will continue to work tirelessly in all areas of our business to reduce energy consumption."

New York -- Only 58% of consumer product goods executives view dollar stores as a strategic channel, according to Deloitte’s new Dollar Store Strategies for National Brands study. Deloitte advises that CPG companies may not be keeping pace with the explosive growth of the $56 billion dollar store industry, and should act now to maximize market share and profits.

In other survey highlights: 

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar has inked a partnership with a national leader in health-and-wellness solutions to further drive the retailer's commitment to proactively engage in activities that encourage healthy living.