Data & Analytics

Retailers who release monthly sales next Thursday will offer fresh insight and hard numbers on back-to-school shoppers’ early season spending behavior and that’s a good thing because so far opinions offered by forecasters are all over the place.

Back in early July, Customer Growth Partners said seasonal sales would grow by 6.2% to $467 billion, the most since 2006, despite economic headwinds.

Chain Store Age is conducting a brief survey designed to take retailers' "new" media temperature. Together with shopping center owner Forest City Enterprises and research firm Alexander Babbage, Chain Store Age is surveying our retail readership to find out what retailers nationwide are doing in terms of social, mobile and other digital media initiatives.

NEW YORK — Inflation-related concerns will prompt back-to-school shoppers to utilize certain shopping tactics, including smartphone and social network use, to save this year.

By Sathish Kumar, [email protected]

WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Supervalu banner Shaw's has implemented the Nutrition iQ program in its stores.

The Nutrition iQ program, which was developed and implemented in collaboration with dietitians from Joslin Clinic, features color-coded icons on shelf tags and signs that serve as at-a-glance cues to help shoppers identify and find healthy food options. The program arrives in stores this week and will be accompanied by an advertising and promotions campaign to educate consumers.

SEATTLE - The nation’s leading online retailer late Tuesday reported a 51% increase in sales and better-than-expected profits as liquidation of former rival Borders began.

If it wasn’t already apparent, the juxtaposition of these events in the same week is a harsh reminder that pure-play online retailers have the ability to render conventional brick-and-mortar chains, or large segments of their business, obsolete despite efforts by the latter to pursue multichannel strategies that leverage physical infrastructures.

Seattle -- Amazon reported Tuesday that sales for the quarter ended June 30 soared 51% to $9.9 billion.

Profits dipped 8% to $191 million from $207 million on surging operating costs, but still beat Wall Street expectations.

NEW YORK — Inflation-related concerns will prompt back-to-school shoppers to utilize certain shopping tactics, including smartphone and social network use, to save this year.