Data & Analytics

PHILADELPHIA — Comparable sales slipped 2.8% at Pep Boys during the first quarter ended April 28, as customers were slow to come to the retailer for parts and services. The comps decline consisted of a 1.2% comparable-service revenue decrease and a 3.2% comparable-merchandise sales decrease. Total sales for the quarter increased by $11.1 million, or 2.2%, to $524.6 million from $513.5 million for the same period last year.

ATLANTA — Ahead of its investor and analyst conference, Home Depot has provided an update on its strategic priorities and long-term financial targets.

Home Depot's strategic goals include creating a stronger connection with customers and simplifying its business, improving merchandise assortment and value, improving shareholder value,and developing a competitive platform across all commerce channels.

Atlanta -- The Home Depot on Wednesday expanded its share buyback plan for the year by $500 million and reaffirmed its full-year outlook.

The retailer said it now expects to buy back $4 billion of its shares and that the increase in its share repurchase plan would not have a material impact to earnings per share for 2012.

New York -- By the summer 2012, Best Buy Canada will start rolling out mobile point-of-sale (POS) in select Future Shop and Best Buy pilot store locations.

New York -- Supervalu plans to cut as many as 2,500 positions at its Albertsons unit. The reductions, which will occur across all 247 Albertsons stores in California and Nevada, will begin the week of June 17 and should be completed around July 1, according to a statement.

“A decision of this nature is never easy, but it is the necessary step for us to take to help improve our business and accelerate our turnaround," Dan Sanders, president of the Albertsons Southern California Division, said in a statement.
 

Target’s plan to achieve $6 billion in Canadian sales by 2017 is doable, according to Bernstein Research analyst Colin McGranahan, who notes the company’s goal is dependent on achieving sales productivity levels higher than the United States.

Bellevue, Wash. -- Coinstar, best known for its Redbox movie rental and its namesake coin-counting kiosks, and Seattle’s Best Coffee, part of Starbucks Coffee Co., have entered into an agreement to roll out Coinstar's new Rubi coffee kiosk in groceries, drug stores and mass merchants. The kiosks will feature a variety of Seattle's Best Coffee beverages.

The rollout will begin this summer, with approximately 500 kiosks expected by the end of the year and thousands of machines in place during the next several years.

AMSTERDAM — Royal Ahold's U.S. subsidiary saw net sales jump 2.8% to $7.8 billion during first quarter 2012, the company said Wednesday.