Data & Analytics

SEATTLE -- Amazon.com continues to grow beyond its origins as an online bookstore and is now expanding its apparel offerings with the launch of a new membership-only website, Myhabit.com.

According to the company, the website, of which member ship is free, will offer up to 60% off hand-picked styles from the most sought after brands. Other features of the site include free shipping and returns, upscale photography and 360-degree views of the clothing on live models.

New York City -- Luxury, e-commerce and apparel enjoyed strong growth in April and the restaurant category surpassed last month’s gains, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales. Electronics and appliance sales registered declines.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Big 5 Sporting Goods reported that for the fiscal 2011 first quarter, net sales were $221.1 million, compared with net sales of $218.5 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2010. Same-store sales decreased 0.9% for the first quarter of 2011 versus the comparable period in the prior year. This compares to a same-store sales increase of 2.4% in the first quarter of 2010.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens said its same-store sales rose 3.4% in April. But analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected, on average, that revenue at those stores had risen 3.6%.

Walgreen said pharmacy comp-store sales were up 1.8%, below analysts' estimate of 2.4%. The company said the results were hurt by 1.9 percentage points because of a calendar shift and the move of the allergy drug Allegra from prescription to over-the-counter status.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Sales for Walgreens during the month of April edged up 5.5%, thanks to a boost in both front-end and pharmacy sectors.

Columbia, S.C. -- Walmart plans to open dozens of new stores throughout South Carolina during the next five years, adding more than 4,000 jobs. Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., announced plans for the new stores at an event at the new South Carolina Farmers Market, in Columbia, S.C.

The new stores will include energy-efficient technology and sustainable features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste.

For years, many retailers have at least informally been on the lookout for customers who abuse the return transaction process, and in some cases, declined to engage in further business with customers perceived to be engaging in abusive or even fraudulent return transactions. With the recession, and advanced technology, many retailers are either tightening their return transaction policies and/or their processes for identifying abusive return transaction patterns.

SALISBURY, N.C. — First-quarter revenue for the Delhaize America, the U.S. sector of Delhaize Group, which includes such supermarket banners as Food Lion and Bottom Dollar, experienced a 0.1% increase to nearly $4.7 billion, the company reported.