Data & Analytics

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Co. is expanding its customer loyalty program to the supermarket channel and its Teavana stores as it looks to double membership from 4.5 million members at the end of October 2012 to approximately nine million members by the end of fiscal 2013.

Starbucks made the announcement at the company’s annual shareholders on Wednesday in Seattle. Also at the meeting, Starbucks investors rejected a shareholder proposal to prohibit the chain from making political contributions or forming a political action committee.

New York -- J.C. Penney Co. has 43,000 less workers at the end of its most-recently completed fiscal year (February 2, 2012) than it did a year ago, according to a report filed Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Post reported.

The company finished its fiscal year with 116,000 full-time and part-time employees, down from 159,000 associates a year ago, the report said. 
 

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Ross Stores Inc. said Thursday its fourth-quarter net income rose 23%, in line with analysts’ projections. The off-price retailer also announced that beginning with the second quarter of fiscal 2013 it will no longer report monthly sales. Instead, quarterly same-store store sales results will be provided with regularly scheduled earnings releases.
 

Salisbury, N.C. — Delhaize's Food Lion, Harveys and Reid's chains have earned their 12th consecutive Energy Star award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Framingham, Mass. — Staples has launched its own Windows Store app for Staples.com. The app provides customers with access to Staples Rewards and features tools that make it easier for small businesses to research and shop for everything they need for their business or home office, the company said.

San Francisco — Williams-Sonoma reported that fourth-quarter earnings per share grew 15% to $1.34 and that quarterly revenue grew to $1.406 billion versus $1.268 billion in 2011, with comparable brand revenue growth of 4%.

Fiscal 2012 earnings per share grew 14% to $2.54. Net revenues for the year grew to $4.043 billion versus $3.721 billion in fiscal year ended January 29, 2012 with comparable brand revenue growth of 6.1%.

New York — The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index remained steady in February primarily as a decline in initial unemployment claims and a rise in real average hourly earnings offset negative forces.

Jacksonville, Fla. — Anthea Jones has assumed the role of president at Bi-Lo. He will continue to serve as SVP operations.

Jones comes to the position from the Bi-Lo side of the recent merger between regional supermarkets Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie. He signed on with Bi-Lo in 1999 after 17 years at Food Lion. He also is the immediate past board chairman for the Global Market Development Center.

Jones succeeds Michael Byars in the position. Randall Onstead continues as president and CEO of the combined company, Bi-Lo Holdings.