Consumer Analytics

Target is scheduled to release monthly sales for March this Thursday, and the company has already indicated its same-store sales figures won’t be pretty due to the late arrival of Easter. The holiday isn’t until April 24 this year, so the bulk of sales related to Easter will occur in April whereas last year Easter fell on April 4, so a greater percentage of seasonal sales fell in March.

NEW YORK — Retailers rank supreme for their customer service, according to a new report by the Temkin Group.

 The consulting and research firm analyzed responses from 6,000 consumers, found that Amazon.com ranked No. 1 for providing an "excellent" customer experience, coming in with a ranking of 81.3%. A business qualifies for an "excellent" rating when their score is 80% or higher, Temkin said.

By Kuruvilla Mathew, [email protected]

New York City -- Walgreens said a marketing and communications vendor that it uses, Epsilon, has informed the company about unauthorized access to its customers' email addresses, the Associated Press reported. The retailer joins JPMorgan Chase & Co. and grocery operator Kroger Co., which also use the same vendor to send emails, as the latest company to announce a breach of information.

In a statement, Walgreens said law enforcement authorities have been notified and are investigating the matter.

No one disputes the philosophy that every day low prices enabled Walmart to achieve dramatic growth, but pricing studies continue to reveal a marketplace where price separation relative to competitors has become difficult to achieve.

MIAMI BEACH — While less consumers are seeking out private-label options this year, preplanning activities continue to be a priority, according to a new survey conducted by SymphonyIRI Group.

In SymphonyIRI's inaugural MarketPulse survey, the group found that 2-out-of-3 shoppers today are making shopping lists prior to visiting the store, while 56% are reading store fliers either before or at the store — statistics that are in line with trends noted in 2010.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- Procter & Gamble announced that it has teamed up with its grocery retail partners to create a mobile app designed to help consumers live and shop more sustainably. The app, called "My Carbon Footprint," works on iPhone, iPad or Droid devices is an interactive, social media-enabled carbon footprint gauge powered by P&G's Future Friendly initiative, P&G reported. It will become available on Earth Day, April 22.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Wednesday by The Conference Board said that online advertised vacancies rose 208,800 in March to 4,454,500.

According to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine Data Series, the March rise follows a large January increase and a small change in February, and brings the gain in labor demand in the first quarter of 2011 to over 600,000.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Applebee’s Services said Wednesday it has chosen customer analytics firm Buxton to assist with the franchise system’s real estate expansion and company asset-management strategies for Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill &Bar restaurants.

Applebee’s, a DineEquity brand, will use Buxton’s Scout platform, to establish future expansion in potential franchise markets and assist in asset management decisions.

By Chuck Densinger, [email protected] & Mason Thelen [email protected]

Question: Which computer system can provide retailers with unprecedented insight into how to serve their customers better?

Answer: Watson.