Articles By Anna Rose Welch

  1. NRF Pushes Congress To Examine Data Breaches In “Holistic Fashion” 3/7/2014

    NRF continues to urge banks to use chip and PIN cards to promote security.

  2. In A Connected World, Consumers Still Crave In-Store Shopping 2/5/2014

    A new study from Accenture finds more consumers plan to increase in-store purchasing in 2014. E-commerce is on the rise, but so is consumers’ interest in making purchases from physical stores this year, a new study by Accenture has revealed.  According to the “seamless retailing” study by Accenture, 21 percent of shoppers have expressed plans to increase in-store purchasing — an impressive jump from just 9 percent last year.

  3. Dollar Tree Growing Both Online And In-Store 11/27/2013

    Dollar tree reported a strong third quarter, with net sales rising 9.5 percent to $1.88 billion and comparable store sales increasing 3.1 percent. CEO Bob Sasser says, “During a very cautious consumer environment, comparable-store sales increased as the result of growth in both consumer basics and growth in seasonal and variety merchandise, with our higher margin variety categories growing at a faster pace. Our comparable-store sales increase was driven principally by increased customer traffic, as new customers are finding Dollar Tree to be part of their solution to balance their household budgets.”

  4. Kirkland's In Early Stages Of Implementing Cross-Channel Marketing 11/27/2013

    Kirkland’s reported a stronger than expected third quarter, with net sales increasing 9.8 percent to $106.1 million, compared to the $96.7 million for Q3’12. Comparable store sales including online sales also increased 4.9 percent, a nice improvement considering comps decreased 4.7 percent in Q3’12. Kirkland’s CEO Ronald Alderson says, “Sales momentum was strong during the quarter as our fall and holiday seasonal merchandise performed well… Traffic improved sequentially during the quarter, and early fourth quarter trends are similar. Our outlook for the fourth quarter remains upbeat, and we are optimistic about the further rollout of our branding initiatives as well as the introduction of our loyalty program, K Club.”

  5. Gap's Gift Cards And “Reserve in Store” Initiative Expected To Drive Holiday Sales 11/27/2013

    Gap reported slight increases in sales and comps during its third quarter, with net sales increasing three percent and comps up one percent. Total sales for the company equaled $3.98 billion, and on a constant currency basis, revenue rose by five percent. Sabrina Simmons, Gap EVP and CFO, says that these results are in keeping with the company’s goals to grow shares and increase earnings per share. Simmons says so far for the year-to-date, the company has performed well, with topline growth of six percent and comps up three percent. With the important holiday shopping season a mere one week away, the company has several initiatives in place to ensure a successful start to its fourth quarter.

  6. Staples' Recent Omni-Channel Improvements Boost Online Sales 11/22/2013

    While Staples is reporting lower sales in its third quarter because of challenges in the office supply market, the company remains determined to continue its reinvention strategies to make Staples “the destination of every product that businesses need to succeed.” Recently, the company revamped its online store front for the first time since 2005.This not only made the site faster and simpler to navigate, but by integrating Staples rewards, customers were met with an easier checkout experience. So far, these changes seem to be appreciated, considering that the company experienced a 3 percent increase in online sales during Q3’13. In addition, a recent Staples Holiday Survey revealed a rising percentage of people are planning to shop for gifts online. This increase in online sales should be good news to the company, showing that its initiatives are working as the holiday approaches.

  7. JCPenney Turnaround Tied To Online Sales And Inventory Refresh 11/22/2013

    Following JCPenney’s third quarter financial results, CEO Myron Ullman seems optimistic about the turnaround effort that’s been underway for the past year or so. He says, “We’re making significant strides toward restoring JCPenney to its rightful place in retail… It’s hard work with no quick fixes, but our team’s rising to the challenge, and our customers tell us they love the progress we’re making.” It’s happening slowly, but JCPenney is beginning to see positive sales momentum, reporting slightly increased comp store sales. For the quarter, the comp sales improved by 710 basis points, reflecting sequential improvement in each of the three months in Q3’13. Similarly, the company reported positive comps in October, a huge achievement for the retailer, as it had been nearly two years since the company had seen such increases.

  8. Costco Jumps On The Same-Day Delivery Bandwagon With Google Shopping Express 11/21/2013

    This week, Google announced that retailer Costco has signed on to deliver its goods through Google Shopping Express same-day delivery service — the highest profile new partnership for the program since September when Shopping Express became an available service in the San Francisco Bay Area. This development will be beneficial for both Costco and Google, enabling them both to better compete in a world where customers are looking for the most convenient, hassle-free shopping experiences.

  9. Lowe's Leverages Mobile Initiatives To Improve Customer Experience 11/21/2013

    Lowe’s saw a 26 percent increase in net earnings for the 2013 third quarter, reporting net earnings of $499 million. Compared to Q3’12, when the company saw $12.1 billion in sales, the company experienced a 7.3 percent increase to $13 billion in Q3’13, along with a 6.2 percent rise in comparable store sales. Lowe’s CEO Robert Niblock attributes the quarter’s growth to the slowly strengthening home improvement market, as people find the market more feasible for home improvement project investments, both large and small.

  10. Big Retailers Turn To Pinterest To Drive E-Commerce Sales 11/19/2013

    A new Pinterest development is set to take the retail world by storm. Pinterest now allows big retailers, including Zappos, Walmart, Disney, and Nestle, to use Pinterest’s real-time data to draw customers’ attention to the most popular “pinned” items on that retailer’s online store. When a customer checks out the retailer’s site, they will be greeted by lists of the most frequently and recently pinned items on that site. In an age where consumer demand is rapidly changing and evolving, online tools like these will be integral in helping retailers get a handle on just what it is consumers are excited about. In turn, the better a retailer knows what customers want, the better it can promote its items and encourage more online attention and sales.