News

Study: Sales per shopper rise in March
San Jose, Calif. – Despite declining store traffic during March 2015, retailers benefited from increased sales per shopper (SPS), average transaction value (ATV) and conversion rates. According to the March 2015 RetailNext Retail Performance Pulse, SPS grew 5.8% compared to the same month a year earlier, perhaps reflecting pent-up consumer demand after a difficult winter.

In addition, ATV grew 3.5% and conversions increased 0.9%, further suggesting consumers who visited stores were looking to make purchases. Returns stayed flat.
Ikea to open 351,000-square-foot store in Las Vegas
Shoppers looking for Swedish mustard or cheap bathroom rugs won’t have to ask themselves “Why isn’t there an Ikea in Las Vegas?” for very much longer.

The Swedish home furnishings retailer, along with Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, Clark County Board of Commissioners Chair Steve Sisolak, Clark County District F Commissioner Susan Brager, U.S. Congressman Joe Heck, local officials and community leaders on-hand, officially broke ground this week for a future Ikea in Las Vegas.

AT&T, Boston

AT&T has opened one of its largest stores yet, a 9,000-sq. ft. location on Boylston Street in Boston.

The store, which is just a few steps away from the finish line of the Boston Marathon, sets itself apart with an all-glass front and space that spans two floors. A Boston flavor is prevalent throughout the space, starting with an oversized Boston Marathon-themed mural.
Weis Markets chairman is stepping down

Weis Markets Inc. is losing one of its longest serving executives after the company announced that the chairman of the board is stepping down.

Robert F. Weis will not stand for re-election to its board of directors at the company's annual meeting of shareholders on April 23, the company said.

"We are deeply indebted to Robert for his 69 years of leadership and tireless dedication to our company," said Harold G. Graber, Jr., a director and secretary of the company.
Coupons.com launches Apple Watch app

Mountain View, Calif. – Coupons.com Inc. is launching a savings and digital promotions app for the Apple Watch. Using the Coupons.com Apple Watch app, shoppers can add nearby digital savings at national retailers and restaurants.
Home Depot offers omnichannel shopping experience

Atlanta – Spring has been a time for fixing up homes and lawns since anyone can remember, but The Home Depot Inc. is giving a modern twist to the process. The Home Depot is offering a variety of omnichannel shopping features, including an “expanded aisles” feature that bridges in-store products to items available on Homedepot.com.
Report: Amazon Prime shoppers less likely to shop Walmart.com

Amazon’s Prime membership is starting to crowd out traditional retailers like Walmart and Target, according to Forbes.

The magazine reports that research consultant Millward Brown Digital found that consumers with Prime accounts –- of which there are reportedly 40 million subscribers –- are less likely to visit other retail sites when making online purchases.
Pier 1 to close 100 stores over three years

Fort Worth, Texas – Pier 1 Imports Inc. on Thursday reported a declining profit for its fourth quarter and also announced that it plans to close 100 stores as part of a three-year real estate optimization plan.

Pier 1 reported net income of $33.1 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, down 22% from $42.6 million the same quarter a year earlier. Expenses related to the retirement of the company’s former CFO, as well as increased selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses, contributed to the decrease in profit.
Questions to ask about marketplaces

In announcing its Costco-like membership model, Jet.com (yet to launch as of this writing) has positioned itself as the latest type of online retail marketplace. Considering that online marketplaces really go back to the days of CompuServe, Prodigy and Earthlink (extra points if you know what “dial up” means), I’ve been struck by how much marketplaces have been in the news lately. Think about Alibaba’s jaw-dropping $9.3 billion sales on Singles Day (Nov.
L Brands, Cato shine in March

New York -- Specialty retailer L Brands continued its winning ways in March, reporting a 9% increase in same-store sales, higher than expectations. Total sales increased 10% to $981.2 million, from $923.7 million in the year ago period.

The Cato Corp. also turned in a winning performance, with a 12% surge in March same-store sales. For the nine weeks ended April 4, sales totaled $197.5 million, up 5% from $188.98 million a year earlier.