News

By Jonathan Barsade, CEO of Exactor

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.

New York -- Aeropostale Inc. on Monday narrowed its fourth-quarter loss forecast on better than expected sales, margins, and expense management in January, and announced two executive appointments.  

Gap Inc. is raising its profit guidance based on its fourth-quarter sales and reduced taxes.

The retailer says it expects to report a profit of $2.86 to $2.87 per share for the year, up from its previous estimate of $2.73 to $2.78 per share. Analysts expected $2.74 per share on average.

The San Francisco company says its total fourth-quarter sales grew 3% to $4.71 billion compared with $4.58 billion for the fourth quarter last year.

New York -- West Coast port congestion issues could cost retailers as much as $7 billion this year, according to an analysis by Kurt Salmon. Work stoppage threats and major trade associations’ calls for federal intervention have retailers and consumer products companies on high alert.
 

Washington, D.C. -- Mobile is the top priority for retailers in 2015, according to the 2015 Shop.org/Forrester Research Inc., State of Retailing Online, with 58% of surveyed retailers placing it at the top of their list, up from 53% last year.

The survey found smartphone sales as a percentage of online sales grew from 8% in 2013 to 12% in 2014, an increase of 50%. Tablets’ share of the pie also grew from 13% of online sales in 2013 to 16% in 2014.

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%.

Food retailers adjusting to the new realities of a changing regulatory landscape have gained a new ally at the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

The trade group has named Jennifer Cleveland McEntire as vice president of science operations.