Articles By Anna Rose Welch

  1. bebe Confident In Turnaround Strategies Following First Quarter Results 11/11/2013

    Women’s retailer, bebe, released its first quarter 2014 results on November 5th revealing that the retailer is still experiencing some issues as it battles back to profitability. The lone bright spot in their results is a sequential improvement in comparable store sales, which decreased 2.8 percent, much less than the previous quarters decrease of 7.1 percent The slowing of losses is attributed to improved traffic and conversion levels during the quarter.

  2. Staples Survey Shows Omni-Channel Is A Holiday Must-Have 11/8/2013

    Staples recently announced the results of its national survey, which revealed that 63 percent of holiday shoppers say finding the right gifts causes extra frustration and anxiety during an already stressful season. Staples also used the survey to determine what kind of gifts people plan to buy, the problems they encounter while shopping, and their shopping habits to better determine how the company could meet those demands. In particular, the survey showed that omni-channel is more important this holiday season than ever, with 2/3 of those surveyed claiming they are just as likely to purchase gifts online as they are to shop in-store.

  3. J.C. Penney Finally Makes Same-Store Gains 11/8/2013

    As a result of improving demand for home products, men’s apparel, and women’s accessories, J.C. Penney posted the first gain in monthly sales in almost two years. Over the past year, the company has been implementing new strategies and raising money to fund a turnaround. After raising roughly four billion through borrowings and a share offering, the company said yesterday sales at stores open at least 12 months rose 0.9 percent in October — the first monthly sales gain since December 2011.

  4. QVC Mobile Commerce Explodes 63% 11/7/2013

    Ranked No. 3 in the 2014 Internet Retailer Mobile 500, TV and web retailer QVC experienced a strong 2013 third quarter, boasting increases in web and mobile sales. US web sales increased 11.7 percent to $535 million from $479 million in Q3’12. Web sales accounted for 41.2 percent of total US sales of $1.30 billion, a 2.6 percent increase from Q3’12 when QVC web sales were 38.6 percent of total US sales of $1.24 billion. For the year so far, QVC reports a 4 percent increase in US web sales from 3.76 billion in 2012 to $3.91 billion.

  5. HSN Digital Sales Jump 8% 11/7/2013

    HSN released its 2013 third quarter financial results, revealing a 3 percent increase in net sales to $789.9 million and an 8 percent increase in digital sales. In response to these results, CEO Mindy Grossman says, "During the third quarter, [the company’s strategies] resulted in record customer levels at HSNi [and] an increase in digital penetration of 230 basis points — including strong growth in mobile, which now represents 12% of our total business.”

  6. Walmart Jumps Into The Pre-Holiday Fray 11/6/2013

    Walmart brought the holiday season to customers a month earlier than usual on Friday, November 1st when it launched its online holiday deals. While most retailers traditionally reserve the biggest deals for Black Friday and Cyber-Monday, beginning November 1st, Walmart rolled out seven big deals for customers, including slashed prices on televisions and tablets. In addition, the retailer has plans to offer 300 more deals for the holiday. While Walmart did offer online deals starting on November 1st last year, as well, the special offers were mostly focused on home décor.

  7. Retail ROI Celebrates Five Years Of Helping Children 11/6/2013

    The Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) has announced it is celebrating its fifth year of helping children in the U.S. and around the globe. Founded by the late Paul Singer (CIO for Target and SuperValu) and IHL Group’s president, Greg Buzek, RetailROI brings together retailers, analysts, and technology vendors to raise awareness and implement solutions to aid orphaned and at-risk children.

  8. AutoNation Reports Strong Third Quarter Results 11/6/2013

    All business sectors experienced gross profit growth; company continues acquiring stores.

  9. U.S. FTC Approves OfficeMax And Office Depot Merger 11/6/2013

    OfficeMax and Office Depot announced that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has approved the merger of the two companies. This transaction is expected to close November 5, 2013.

  10. PetSmart Invests In New Omni-Channel Initiatives 11/5/2013

    Retailer enhances mobile site, equips associates with iPad Minis, and offers “Buy Online, Pick Up In Store” option to improve customer service.