Data & Analytics

New Balance has brought its “Experience” format to North America, opening a 4,000-sq.-ft. space in Manhattan’s Flatiron District.

Home Depot and Lowe’s may receive a 1% bump to their third-quarter results as a result of Hurricane Irene sales, according to an analysis provided by MarketWatch. 

A variety of retail analysts weighed in on the question of whether Irene would help or hurt retail sales, given that many stores were forced to close when evacuation orders came. But the overall consensus was that before-and-after hurricane sales will benefit home improvement retailers, while negatively impacting department stores, specialty stores and any retailer relying on back-to-school sales.

The new Target.com website went live last Tuesday just as Target News Now was hitting in-boxes with an item about the relaunch that began, “Just launch the new site already.” Well, now that the completely reengineered site is operational, it marks the company’s first step on an ambitious plan for multi-channel expansion, according to Target.com president Steve Eastman.

By Steve Dispensa, [email protected]

Escalating IT security threats and strengthening regulatory requirements have driven adoption of two-factor authentication among retailers to unprecedented levels. In an effort to stave off increasingly virulent attacks and meet PCI DSS mandates, many retailers have deployed security tokens, like RSA’s SecurID, to secure access to their corporate network and the sensitive customer and payment data it contains.

It is hard to overstate the significance of Target’s entry into Canada in terms of the impact it will have on the company’s growth and the marketplace overall. You would have to go back to 1992 and Walmart’s acquisition of 122 Woolco stores to find an event of similar magnitude, and even that deal comes up short compared with Target’s plans to open as many as 150 stores beginning in early 2013.

Mooresville, N.C. -- Lowe’s Cos. is consolidating its store operations and merchandising organizations. The move is designed to improve efficiencies, increase speed to market for new products and services, and enhance the shopping experience for customers, the chain said.

Target failed to crack a ranking of the top 10 most effective back-to-school ads compiled by Ace Metrix that was dominated by retail competitors and technology companies.

New York City -- Supporting continued strength in the luxury sector, Tiffany & Co. reported Friday that profit for the quarter ended July 31 soared 33% to $90 million, from $67.7 million a year earlier. Results surpassed Wall Street estimates, and the jewelry retailer raised its full-year profit outlook.

Revenue surged 30% in the quarter, to $872.7 million, beating analysts’ expected $785.6 million.  Same-store sales jumped 22%.