Consumer Analytics

By Amy Lally and Leah Abeles, Sidley Austin LLP

Back in October, I commemorated my six-month anniversary as technology editor of Chain Store Age with a column looking at how retail IT has been disrupted in recent years. Now that I have a full year under my belt, I thought it would be interesting to look at how customer expectations of retail IT have been disrupted in recent years (and don’t worry, there will be no 18-month anniversary piece). Three paradigm-shifting changes in how retailers must now engage with customers using technology stand out.

Every Man is an Island

Office Depot has launched a digital campaign called “Teachers Change Lives. So Can You” to help raise awareness and funds for classroom supplies for teachers.

As a thank you to these educators, Office Depot has partnered with AdoptAClassroom.org, a national organization dedicated to collecting and distributing funds to teachers, who in many cases use their own money to purchase classroom supplies to ensure each student has the tools to succeed.

By Mark Bower, Voltage Security

Deerfield, Ill. -- The rapid adoption of Walgreens’ Balance Rewards loyalty program, with nearly 80 million members, has earned the chain a ranking among top business technology innovators in the U.S.

Walgreens is ranked No. 60 on the 2014 InformationWeek Elite 100.

Nike has elected Michelle A. Peluso to the company’s board of directors. Peluso is CEO of Gilt, an online shopping destination offering its members top designer labels at up to 60% off retail.

In the last 12 months the buzz around omnichannel has become the most consistently discussed trend for major retailers. It’s always noteworthy when a trend emerges and becomes a part of the mainstream conversation so quickly, but what is even more noteworthy is how fast omnichannel has become standard operating procedure.

There is no one type of cyber criminal, just like there is no one kind of thief. Hacktivists tend to aspire to damage the reputations of organizations with which they personally disagree. State-sponsored hackers hunt for national security intelligence, insider information, and trade secrets. Malicious insiders — whether they’re commercial spies or simply disgruntled employees — steal, broadcast and sell employer secrets to disadvantage the business, make money, and empower competitors.

William Blair & Company analyst Mark Miller has followed Walmart for a long time, but he didn’t have much good to say about the company when he issued a downgrade this week.

Miller lowered his rating on Walmart to underperform from market perform and cited some familiar and unfamiliar concerns. For example, one of his main concerns related to Walmart’s size and complexity which he contends reduces dynamism and growth.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. highlighted its use of technology and innovation to bridge the growing digital world with its physical stores at the company’s annual meeting with investors. In new initiatives, the retailer is expanding its reserve in-store service to all U.S. Gap stores by the end of the second quarter, enabling online and mobile shoppers to now reserve items at more than 1,000 Gap and Banana Republic store locations.