News

Gap Inc. beat the Street in its second quarter with both bottom and top line gains, boosted by its Old Navy division and fewer discounts.    The apparel retailer earned $271 million net income, or 68 cents per share, in the quarter that ended July 29. That's up from $125 million, or 31 cents per share, a year ago.   

When it comes to being loyal to a retailer or brand, the majority of U.S. consumers are swayed by their pocketbooks.    Nine out of 10 (92%) loyal customers rank price and value as the top factor in driving loyalty to specific retailers, followed by product/quality (79%) and variety/selection (71%), according to the International Council of Shopping Centers’ survey on brand loyalty.  

Urban Outfitters' profit and sales fell in the second quarter even as it topped Wall Street expectations.   Urban Outfitters said it earned $49.91 million, or 44 cents a share, in the quarter, down from $76.91 million, or 66 cents a share, in the year-ago period, as the retailer Analysts had expected the company to earn $0.37 per share, amid heavy discounting.    Total net sales fell 2% to $873 million, from $891 million a year ago. Analysts had expected sales of $862 million. 

Target Corp. came roaring back in its second quarter from a year-long sales slump amid evidence that its investments in online and store remodels are paying off. The discounter raised its outlook for the year.   Sales rose 1.6% to $16.43 billion in the quarter ended July 29, beating analysts' estimates of $16.30 billion. Same-store sales rose 1.3%, also more than analysts had expected. Comparable digital sales surged 32%.  

Off-price powerhouse TJX Companies still seems plenty of room for store expansion — particularly in the home good sector.    The retailer, which reported strong second quarter results on Tuesday, has more than 3,800 stores worldwide and will open 260 new locations this year. Long term, it sees the opportunity for 5,600 stores with it current banners, or about 1,700 more locations than it currently operates.   

The third annual Amazon Prime Day attracted more shoppers than ever, with many attracted by personalized marketing efforts.    Thirty-six percent of respondents confirmed they made a purchase on Amazon Prime Day in a survey from Periscope by McKinsey, which conducted online research with U.S. shoppers to explore their attitudes and actions regarding the online giant's mega-sale. This was a substantial increase on the 22% who said they had actively shopped for Prime Day deals in 2016.   

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is looking for a few good tech innovators.    The group has put out a call for applications for its first annual (R)Tech Retail CEO Innovation Awards. The awards will highlight innovations that enable retail's future. Winners will be invited to showcase, pitch and network with the retail chief executives at RILA's annual Retail CEO Forum Jan. 21-23 in Tucson, Arizona.  

Given the difficult business conditions so many brick-and-mortar retailers are facing, it’s baffling that conversion rate optimization (CRO) hasn’t become more of a focus if not an obsession.   In the online world, CRO has become an industry onto itself, spawning a global community of consultants and service providers, formal methodologies and over a hundred books dedicated to the topic on Amazon alone. There is only one book on brick-and-mortar conversion listed on Amazon.