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The role of analytics in retail has evolved substantially over the past few years and it’s having a significant positive impact.  The days of hearing a vendor say “Oh, we get an EDI 852 but we don’t really do anything with it” are starting to fade into the rear view mirror.  This blog post will... Read more »

Lowe’s posted declines in net sales, comp-store sales and earnings in the second quarter ended August 3. “Our results fell short of our overall expectations,” said Robert Niblock, Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO.  “However, I have confidence in our strategy and in our employees, and while we recognize the significant magnitude of change that we’ve... Read more »

The U.S. Census Bureau announced that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for July, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $403.9 billion, an increase of 0.8 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month and 4.1 percent (±0.7%) above July 2011.  Total sales for the... Read more »

A fourth consecutive quarter of same store sales growth at Walmart’s U.S. business helped the company achieve a slightly better than expected profit performance. Second quarter earnings grew 8.3% to $1.18, one cent better than the consensus estimate of analysts and at the top of the company’s forecast range of $1.13 to $1.18.  Total company... Read more »

Home Depot reported sales of $20.6 billion for the second quarter of 2012, a 1.7% increase from the second quarter of fiscal 2011.  Comparable sales for U.S. stores were positive 2.6%, and overall same-store sales for the second quarter were positive 2.1%. Net earnings for the world’s largest home improvement retailer were $1.53 billion for... Read more »

Retail sales advanced 0.8% in July, the first gain in four months, according to a report released by the Commerce Department.  Sales were fueled by strength from the automobile sector, electronics and appliance outlets, and department stores. The bigger than expected increase followed a 0.7% decline in June that was weaker than first reported.  Bloomberg... Read more »

Helped by hot weather and clearance sales, many retailers reported solid results in July, a month that can be slow leading up to the back to school shopping season.  Some of the strongest showings in the month were in the department store category, as all those reporting showed July gains.   Macy’s led the pack... Read more »

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined in June, improved slightly in July.  The Index now stands at 65.9 (1985=100), up from 62.7 in June.  The Expectations Index improved to 79.1 from 73.4.  The Present Situation Index, however, decreased slightly to 46.2 from 46.6 a month ago. Says Lynn Franco, Director of Economic... Read more »

The National Retail Federation joined a coalition of manufacturers, shippers and transportation providers opposing new federal trucking regulations on drivers’ hours of service. “The retail industry is at the crossroads of the supply chain, interconnecting manufacturers and suppliers with vendors and customers,” NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said.  “It is the retail industry’s responsibility... Read more »