Artificial Intelligence

SAN MATEO, Calif. — DemandTec announced that Dollar General will use DemandTec's markdown optimization, everyday price optimization, and everyday price management software services.  According to DemandTec, these three services are designed to enable retailers to optimize and strategically manage pricing for the entire store, including new items, regular retails, promoted items, and clearance items.  

Walmart may have been slow to embrace the online space in the mid 90’s when dot-com fever first heated up, but it isn’t making the same mistake the second time around as the digital world undergoes the mobile and social revolution.

While an abundance of celebrities and references to Walmart founder Sam Walton gave this year’s shareholders meeting a familiar feel, there also was an unmistakable emphasis on e-commerce and social media.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — eBay Inc. announced that it has agreed to acquire Magento Inc., the creator of Magento, a leading open source e-commerce platform. The deal follows eBay’s acquisition of a minority stake in the company in 2010. Upon closing of the transaction, eBay will own 100% of the outstanding shares of Magento. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

By Harry Herget, syntelllc.com

SAN FRANCISCO  — PowerReviews, a provider of social commerce solutions, announced that it has appointed former Google executive Keith Adams as CFO. 

SECAUCUS, N.J. — Panasonic Corporation of North America has appointed Betty Noonan to lead its marketing and branding functions. Noonan, who was most recently VP and director of Kodak's worldwide consumer marketing operations, will be responsible for integrating the company's marketing and enhancing the Panasonic brand.  

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Hasbro announced that it is reorganizing its global games business and moving its games marketing and games development employees from East Longmeadow, Mass. to Rhode Island.