News

The torrent of customer feedback unleashed by e-commerce and social media is a good thing, as long as companies are able to mine the data to identify problems and improve operations.

To help retailers and consumer packaged goods companies address that challenge Empathica, a customer experience management solutions provider, and Semantria, a provider of multi-lingual text analytics, have joined forces to offer new natural language processing capabilities.

New York -- A report released Friday found that confidence among American consumers declined in April to a nine-month low. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment declined to 72.3 in April from 78.6 a month earlier, lower than Bloomberg’s earlier estimates that called for a flat reading.

The decline reflects consumer pessimism about the economy and continuing effects from the increased payroll tax.

New York -- A report by the Wall Street Journal on Friday said that hedge fund Barington Capital Group is pressing Jones Group Inc. to slim down by divesting parts of its portfolio.

Citing an unidentified source, WSJ said that Barington – in a meeting earlier this month – urged Jones to hire financial advisers to analyze many of the company’s 35-plus to pare down the portfolio and focus on its core and emerging brands.

New York -- J.C. Penney Co. has hired the Blackstone Group explore how best to position the firm financially and help it raise cash, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The company is reportedly seeking $1 billion in cash, according to the Wall Street Journal, which added that options could include selling a minority stake. Penney already has been in contact with several private equity firms about a potential investment, according to the report.  

New York - U.S. retail sales fell 0.4% in March, the biggest decrease in nine months, amid a slowdown in hiring and higher taxes. Excluding sales of autos, gas and building materials, core sales dropped 0.2% in March, following a 0.3% increase in January.

A rededication to the basics business has Walmart’s apparel business heading in the right direction and next week, Andy Barron, EVP of softlines, will elaborate on the turnaround and winning with the Walmart customer.

Walmart has teamed with Rogers Media to create a new print and digital property called Walmart Live Better that will be distributed for free in Canada.

One million copies of the magazine hit the market this week and the content is also available in a variety of digital formats.

Walmart marketing executives shared new insights on the company’s price comparison advertising campaign and other outreach efforts this week during a presentation at the 12th annual Shopper Marketing Summit.

Clint McClain, senior director of marketing communications platforms, and Ken Mantel, senior director of marketing, shared the stage during a presentation that shed light on how to work with Walmart on select marketing initiatives in a media landscape that is being rapidly transformed by digital alternatives.

LOS ANGELES — Guess has appointed Hillary Super as SVP, general merchandise manager for, reporting to Paul Marciano, co-founder and CEO.

"We are delighted to have a leader like Hillary at Guess.  She understands the Guess brand and values, and will lead a team of talented merchants," said Paul Marciano. "Her relentless focus on brand integrity, execution, and on the customers has allowed her to grow great businesses, and her accomplishments as a leader are exemplary."

NEW YORK — New York State Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Oing on Thursday refused to dismiss Macy's Inc's claim that Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia violated its contract when it designed certain merchandise for J.C. Penney Co., regardless of whether the items carry the Martha Stewart brand.