News

Hispanic consumers are outpacing non-Hispanics in their adoption of mobile, social and online sources for local shopping, according to BIA/Kelsey's Consumer Commerce Monitor study released this week. 

Tampa, Fla. -- The global market for advanced services based on mobile context insights could be worth as much as $44 billion annually. A research report for Syniverse from economists at the Surrey Energy Economics Center (SEEC) values the market for operators providing services to brands based on end-user context data and proposes a sustainable long-term market structure with balanced, mutual benefit between operators, brands and consumers.

El Segundo, Calif. – Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. released mostly positive financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013. During the fourth quarter, net income rose 30% to $5.2 million from $4 million compared to the same period in the prior year.

Dollar Tree’s fourth quarter results were affected by the extra week in last year’s fourth quarter as well as continued economic challenges.

On a year-over-year basis, net income during the fourth quarter declined about 7% to $213 million from $228.6 million, and during the full year fell about 4% to $596.7 million from $619.3 million.

Houston - Concerned Pantry Shareholders (CPS), a group led by JCP Investment Management LLC and Lone Star Value Management LLC, together a significant shareholder of The Pantry Inc. has sent an open letter to the shareholders of The Pantry. The letter highlights what CPS terms the prolonged underperformance at The Pantry and the critical need for significant change in the company's board of directors.

By Catherine Tabor, CEO, Sparkfly

Beacons provide retailers with an opportunity to increase engagement and help direct the in-store experience, and they indicate a shift in many brands’ digital and in-store marketing and merchandising strategies. However, they need to be connected to other consumer touchpoints to deliver their full potential value to retailers.

Merging the Physical and Digital

AB Acquisition LLC, which operates Albertson’s LLC and New Albertson’s Inc., has appointed Rick Navarro, who had been the company’s CFO since its inception in 2006, as chief administrative officer. Succeeding Navarro as the company’s CFO is former Nash Finch executive Robert Dimond.

In his new role, Navarro will oversee the IT, legal, business development, human resources and public affairs functions.

Chicago – True Value Company reported declining earnings in the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013 even as sales moderately increased compared to the same periods a year earlier. The retailer posted quarterly earnings of $12.5 million, a decrease of 57% from $29.1 million for the same period a year ago.