Business Analytics

Seattle – Amazon.com is heading east with its Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosted cloud computing platform – all the way to India.

AWS will launch an “infrastructure region” in India in 2016, meaning customers there will have access to locally based hosted cloud services.

London - Accenture has completed its acquisition of Javelin Group, a retail strategy consulting and digital transformation services provider. The acquisition was first announced on May 18, 2015.

Javelin Group will be a distinct business unit within Accenture Strategy. Accenture will leverage Javelin’s specialist retail strategy and digital capabilities to help retailers accelerate digital transformation.

Toronto - Staples Canada has released its 2015 recycling objectives and first quarter update. Highlights include a plan to collect three million ink cartridges and 4,000,000 kg of electronics in 2015.

Staples Canada partners with Call2Recycle to collect and recycle batteries (rechargeable and alkaline) in every Staples store. In the first quarter, 37,111 kg of batteries were collected, an increase of 22.5% from the same quarter a year earlier. The retailer has set a goal of collecting 125,000 kg of batteries in 2015.

A new study by Staples shows that many Americans are burnt out and working more than ever thanks to the always on mentality of the connected economy. So why are we so happy?

New research from the Staple Advantage business-to-business division of Staples looked at the work behaviors of 2,602 employees in the U.S. and Canada to create the inaugural Workplace Index. The key takeaway is that more than half of employees report feeling overworked and burnt out (53%), but the overwhelming majority (86%) are still happy at work and motivated to rise in their organization.

A new study by Staples shows that many Americans are burnt out and working more than ever thanks to the always on mentality of the connected economy. So why are we so happy?

New research from the Staple Advantage business-to-business division of Staples looked at the work behaviors of 2,602 employees in the U.S. and Canada to create the inaugural Workplace Index. The key takeaway is that more than half of employees report feeling overworked and burnt out (53%), but the overwhelming majority (86%) are still happy at work and motivated to rise in their organization.

Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing (ECRM) continues to expand its capabilities and has done so again with another key retail industry hire.

ECRM recently hired retail and consumer packaged goods data veteran Jennifer Zannelli to the newly created role of ECRM Data Sales. In this capacity, Zannelli will lead strategic sales initiatives for ECRM Data and also help develop new products and services.

Cincinnati – The Kroger Co. is responding to explosive financial performance with a two-for-one stock split, dividend increase and share buyback program. Kroger has delivered double-digit compound growth in its dividend since it was reinstated in 2006, and expects further growth.

While Mardi Gras celebrations ended earlier this spring, there are many software vendors that still have the Mardi Gras masks on as they pretend their cloud apps are SaaS – they are “SaaSquerading”(phrase coined by blogger Brian Sommer). There is a distinct difference between cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) and it’s important for professionals to know why the difference matters.

New York – Barnes & Noble Inc. beat Wall Street expectations, sharply reducing its loss even as sales fell.

The bookseller reported a net loss of $19.42 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, down from a loss of $36.7 million in the year-ago period. Reductions in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) and interest expenses, as well as lower depreciation and amortization, drove the decline in net loss.

Union, N.J. – Bed, Bath & Beyond Inc. missed Wall Street expectations for profit and same-store sales during a not-so-comfy first quarter of 2015. Net earnings dropped 18% to $158.5 million from $187.1 million, with increased selling, general and administrative (SG&A) and interest expenses offsetting higher gross profit.

Net sales totaled $2.74 billion, an increase of 3% from $2.66 billion. Same-store sales increased by 2.2%, including the negative impact of Canadian currency fluctuation.