News

Iselin, N.J. -- Birdzi, a provider of location analytics and mobile applications for personalized shopper engagement, announced that Woodman’s Foods, an independent and employee-owned grocery retailer with stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, is now a member of Birdzi’s Personiphi Network and has selected the company’s Shopper Engagement platform to provide personalized savings to shoppers.

After a rollout to one store in 2014, Woodman’s Foods will roll out the solution to all of its 15 stores by spring 2015.

Columbia, Md. – Although it is now dismissed as a “legacy” technology, email can still provide value to retailers’ CRM (customer relationship marketing) efforts, as can mobile technology and loyalty programs. According to new data from CRM firm Merkle, 67% of consumers want a totally mobile path to purchase and 42% of supermarket shoppers use their phones at least once during a trip.

New York -- Shoppers will be opening both their hearts and their wallets this Valentine’s Day. According to a new study from IBISWorld, total holiday spending will increase 3.8% from 2014, to $139.70 from $134.56.

Revenue from candy is expected to rise 3%, and will maintain its position as the category with the most consistent growth over the past five years. This segment’s popularity is due to its easy availability and its varied pricing based on the manufacturer and quality of ingredients.

By Jonathan Barsade, CEO of Exactor

New York - While the digital age has encouraged more consumers to shop and browse products on the Web, physical stores are still primary destinations for shoppers, according to an annual survey by PwC's.

San Francisco – Port management temporarily halted vessel loading and unloading operations at West Coast ports the weekend of Feb. 7-8. In a statement, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), representing port management, said it did not want to offer port workers premium pay for diminished productivity in light of continued work slowdowns caused by disagreements with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) over issues such as pay, pensions and contract arbitration.

Hangzhou, China – Alibaba Holding Group Inc. is bolstering its mobile commerce position by purchasing a $590 million minority stake in Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu. As a result of the investment, Alibaba and Meizu will collaborate to integrate Meizu’s hardware and Alibaba’s mobile operating system.

Chesapeake, Va. - Dollar Tree Inc. is arranging financing for its pending acquisition of Family Dollar Stores Inc. To that end, Dollar Tree has priced a private offering of $$2.5 billion of senior notes due 2023 and $750 million of senior notes due 2020. The 2023 notes will bear an annual interest rate of 5.75% and the 2020 notes will bear an annual interest rate of 5.25%.

Dollar Tree has also arranged for a $1 billion term loan with interest of LIBOR plus 2.25% and a $3.95 billion term loan with interest of LIBOR (subject to a 0.75% floor) plus 3.5%.

Phoenix – Same-store sales rose 2.6% at PetSmart Inc. during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Average ticket increased 2%, and same-store transactions increased 0.6%.

Chain Store Age’s exclusive media partnership with Silicon Valley accelerator Plug and Play Tech Center offers many benefits. Among them is the chance to escape to the warmth and sunshine of northern California from one of the snowiest winters in the history of New England.