Business Intelligence (BI)

New York City -- For a fifth consecutive year, Ace Hardware ranks highest in satisfying home improvement retail store customers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study(SM). The study, now in its fifth year, finds that home improvement store shoppers are more satisfied with store facilities, merchandise and pricing in 2011, compared with 2010.

Kansas City, Mo. -- Einstein Noah Restaurant Group announces partnership with Service Management Group, a leading customer analytics agency focused on loyalty and service improvement, to increase customer loyalty and drive same-store sales.

Through this partnership Service Management will identify new business opportunities through customer analyses that integrate guest experience metrics with transaction data and Einstein restaurant attributes.

New York City -- Clarity and ease of use are sticky points for retailers when it comes to implementing business intelligence, according to a recent survey on BI in retail by Chain Store Age. 

Washington, D.C. -- Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) said that Guitar Center has renewed its license for APT's retail testing software.

APT’s Test & Learn Management Solution is being used to drive dozens of high-impact tests within Guitar Center’s organization. Using Test & Learn, Guitar Center plans to accurately understand the impact of new ideas and tailor them to maximize profits.

New York City -- Clarity and ease of use are sticky points for retailers when it comes to implementing business intelligence, according to a recent survey on BI in retail by Chain Store Age.

Asheville, N.C. — Net sales and net income for Ingles Markets realized a 4% and 38% increase, respectively, during the second quarter ended March 26, the retailer announced Friday.

Ingles reported that second-quarter net sales rose $33.4 million to $870.4 million, while second-quarter net income increased from $5.6 million to $7.7 million.

Phoenix -- JDA Software Group and Gladson announced a strategic alliance to provide combined services to their joint customers in the consumer packaged goods industry.

Washington, D.C. -- Commercial real estate information company CoStar Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire LoopNet, the leading online commercial real estate marketplace.

“CoStar revolutionized how the industry researches commercial real estate and LoopNet revolutionized the way the industry markets commercial real estate," said Andrew C. Florance, president and CEO, CoStar. "We expect the combination of our companies to give the $11 trillion commercial real estate market the full benefit of the Internet."