News

Atlanta -- Von Maur Department Stores has completed the installation of a new shipping and receiving material handling system in Von Maur's distribution center in Davenport, Iowa.

Sterling, Va. – Sixty-four percent of millennial graduates shopped at Target in the last three months, according to new data by Neustar, Inc. The real-time information services and analytics provider uncovered the buying behavior insights of recent millennial graduates and their preferences.

Some insights include:

When it comes to transportation and logistics management considerations, the retail industry is a completely different beast. From strict deadlines and razor thin margins to challenges dealing with “reverse logistics,” complex dynamics exist between retailers, manufacturers/suppliers and transportation carriers that present unique challenges for getting inventory from Point A to Point B (and sometimes back again).

New York – Guess Inc. beat Wall Street expectations with net earnings of $3.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, compared to a net loss of $2.1 million the same period a year earlier. Reductions in pretax expenses pushed Guess out of the red into the black.

Total net revenue decreased 8% to $478.8 million, from $522.5 million. Foreign currency fluctuations drove the decline. Same-store sales, including e-commerce, dropped 5.9%.

Seattle - Amazon.com continues tweaking its shipping policies. A week after offering free same-day delivery for members of its Amazon Prime loyalty program in select cities, the retailer is now offering all customers free shipping on lightweight items in a program called Fulfillment by Amazon Small and Light.

The eligible goods include cosmetics and mobile phone accessories. There is no minimum purchase requirement, and membership in Amazon Prime, which offers free shipping on all purchases, is not required.

Mahwah, N.J. – Ascena Retail Group Inc. fell short of Wall Street expectations for profit and revenue in a difficult third quarter of fiscal 2015. Net income fell 23% to $24.4 million, from $33.2 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

St. Louis - Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. currently expects second quarter fiscal 2015 same-store sales to increase in the low-single-digit range. The retailer issued an outlook in conjunction with its presentation at the Stephens 2015 Spring Investment Conference being held June 3.

The company also expects to report its 10th consecutive quarter of improved operating performance in the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Build-A-Bear reported an operating loss of $3.9 million in the 2014 second quarter.
 

Chicago - It may seem counterintuitive, but retailers should welcome the irate shopper who vents their frustration. That’s because it’s the mistreated customer who walks out the door in a silent huff who places the most revenue at risk, according to a collaborative study of dysfunctional retail touch-points conducted by LoyaltyOne, Verde Group and Dr. Deborah Small, professor of marketing and psychology, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

St. Petersburg – HSN Inc. is partnering with the Card Services division of Alliance Data Systems Corp. (ADS) to provide private label credit card services for its Cornerstone business unit. Alliance Data will develop loyalty-driven card programs for five of Cornerstone's seven multichannel brands -- Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road and Improvements – each incorporating a tailored approach for their unique customer base.

King of Prussia, Pa. – eBay Enterprise has helped its clients reduce average handle time and save money by using the NICE Interaction Analytics solution. eBay Enterprise processes roughly 17 million contacts per year on behalf of its retailers, across a full range of channels including phone, chat, email and social media. Its key focus is on lowering average handle time (AHT), delivering consistent, high quality service, and enhancing the consumer experience.