Data & Analytics

New York City -- John Donahoe, president and CEO of eBay, during a Jan. 18 earnings call expanded on the test of PayPal with retailer Home Depot.

A division of eBay, PayPal is experimenting with extending its on-line payment system to point-of-sale retail locations. In the fourth quarter of 2011, it chose Home Depot as its first national retailer for a limited test at five stores. PayPal plans to widen the pilot to 51 stores in the Bay Area by the end of the month, Donahoe said.

One thing merchants know about markdowns is they are best taken early and at a modest level to stimulate sales as opposed clinging too long to the belief goods will sell at full price only to realize steeper cuts are needed. Apparently this philosophy doesn’t apply in the financial services world where Target has temporarily suspended the sale of its credit card receivables portfolio on better terms.

SAN FRANCISCO — Home Depot has announced the purchase of Redbeacon, an online matchmaker that connects consumers with contractors for home repairs, maintenance and remodeling. The purchase price was not disclosed. 

Atlanta -- The Home Depot has acquired Redbeacon, an online home services platform connecting consumers with contractors for their home maintenance, repair and remodeling needs. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Redbeacon's leadership team will stay in place and will remain in San Mateo, Calif.
 

West Des Moines, Iowa -- Hy-Vee has launched a mobile app for customers to make shopping easier, faster and more social.

The smartphone app offers a number of interactive features to help customers with meal planning and preparation, gain access to store and pharmacy information and more.

A letter that surfaced last week from Target executives to the company’s suppliers brought back memories of Tom Hanks signature line from the movie A League of Their Own about how there is no crying in baseball.

NEW YORK — Retailers will have to rethink their position in the market, along with strategies they have used thus far, to keep themselves in the game, according to a new Deloitte report, "The Next Evolution: Store 3.0."

Waterloo, Ontario -- Descartes Systems Group, a provider in logistics technology, acquired GeoMicro, a California-based provider of advanced geographic information systems (GIS) and commercial turn-by-turn navigation.