Lowes to Acquire Canadian Chain Rona

On Wednesday, home improvement retailer Lowe’s made a $2.3 billion bid for Quebec-based home-improvement chain Rona. The deal comes 4 years after an attempted hostile acquisition that faced opposition from major political parties. Initial indications point to a friendly deal this time around with approval from the Rona board of directors. “One of the big… Read more »

Circuit City Returns this Spring

Retail veterans Ronny Shmoel and Albert Liniado are bringing back Circuit City, once the number one big-box tech chain in the marketplace before filing for bankruptcy in 2008. Their ambitious plan includes retail outlets, web sales, branded and private-label products, licensed kiosks, mobile shops and franchise opportunities, all under the iconic red and white banner.… Read more »

Amazon Stock Price Plummets Despite Tremendous Success

>After the market’s close on Thursday, Amazon.com Inc. reported fourth quarter earnings that missed expectations and the company’s stock plunged 13%. Wall Street analysts were forecasting record revenue of $35.9 billion for the company. Amazon did hit a new revenue record, but it missed expectations with sales of $35.7 billion. That’s despite successes that were… Read more »

CPG Growth Opportunities in 2016

In its report series “Taking Stock of CPG Past and Future: Gear Up Now for a Year of Growth“, IRI reflects on the lessons learned in 2015 and provides insight into several key trends that will drive growth in 2016. Growth is still a significant challenge for the CPG Industry. Faced with conservative shopper behaviors… Read more »

NRF’s Big Show Recap

The NRF’s Big Show wrapped up on Wednesday after record attendance, and, as we unwind from an exciting week in New York, we find ourselves reflecting on the event as a whole and on the key takeaways that will impact Accelerated Analytics in 2016. Matt Shay, President and CEO of the National Retail Federation, opened… Read more »

Mixed Bag of Holiday Results Released

Twelve major retailers released holiday results last week confirming what was arguably one of the most unusual holiday shopping seasons in recent history. A combination of economic factors, evolving consumer behaviors and an increasingly competitive marketplace provided a challenging and unpredictable backdrop for holiday sales this year. The following are some of the most notable… Read more »

2015 Acquisitions

    There were 12 major retail acquisitions in 2015 in the apparel specialty, department and shoe store industries. See below for the details including the effective date and the number of units.

Cool Start to Retail Spending Predicted in January

With many Americans suffering from a holiday-spending hangover, it’s not surprising when we see a lull in spending in January. Coupled with abnormal weather conditions across the country and an uncertain economy, consumer spending is likely off to a slow start this month. The Chain Store Guide (CSG) Retail Spending Index saw its largest decrease… Read more »

Macy’s Cost-Cutting Initiative Means Fewer Stores and Jobs in New Year

Disappointing holiday sales prompted iconic department store Macy’s Inc. to announce major cost-cutting moves on Wednesday. During November and December’s uncharacteristically warm weather, Macy’s same-store sales declined 4.7%. “The holiday selling season was challenging, as experienced throughout 2015 by much of the retailing industry,” said Macy’s chairman and CEO Terry Lundgren. “In the November/December period,… Read more »