Business Intelligence (BI)

Sam’s Club has installed multiple self-checkout lanes at its club in Bentonville as part of a test that is reportedly limited to three clubs. At the Bentonville location, the two self-checkout lanes are easily identified with a large triangular overhead sign that says, “Self Checkout” Additional signs at the entry to the checkout lane call out the payment process with the words, “scan, pay, go.” Nearby, two additional self-checkout payment terminals are positioned on opposite sides of a table for shoppers with smaller purchases.

By Martin Brewer, [email protected]

New York City -- Schneider Electric and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are collaborating to enhance the current demand response credit for the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot announced Wednesday that it has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s list of Energy Star Leaders for reducing its energy consumption by 27.5% across its building portfolio.

Energy Star Leaders is a group of organizations that have improved energy efficiency across all of the facilities in a portfolio.

According to Office Depot, it is the first non-supermarket retailer to be recognized for realizing a greater than 20% reduction.

NEW YORK -- The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index offered some hope that the economy is improving, however consumer spending not likely to reach pre-recession levels anytime soon. The Index, released Monday, rose in February, driven primarily by the slight improvements in real home prices and initial jobless claims, according to the company.

The Index attempts to track consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

New York City -- A report released Tuesday by payment system provider ACI Worldwide found that many retail loyalty programs leave consumers feeling underappreciated and many consumers are enrolled in a program they don’t completely understand.

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma announced that net revenues for fourth quarter 2010 increased 9.7% to $1.195 billion versus $1.09 billion in fourth quarter 2010, including Internet net revenue growth of 27.2% and a comparable-store sales increase of 5.2%.

Diluted earnings per share on a GAAP basis were $1.05 for the quarter, compared with 81 cents for the same period last year.

ARMONK, N.Y. -- IBM has announced new software and the creation a new consulting practice dedicated to the emerging category of "smarter commerce," which is focused on helping companies swiftly adapt to rising customer demands in today's digitally transformed marketplace.  

New York City -- The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index, released Monday, rose in February, driven primarily by the slight improvements in real home prices and initial jobless claims, according to the company.

The Index attempts to track consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

SALISBURY, N.C. — Delhaize America is emphasizing its private-brand assortments, the supermarket conglomerate reported in its earnings release.

Delhaize said it forged ahead with its New Game Plan, which includes "important price investments," and noted that its U.S. operating companies — which include such banners as Food Lion, Bottom Dollar and Hannaford — are reinforcing their private-brand assortments through the introduction of a new value line called My Essentials.