Predictive Analytics

Denver – Another company has joined the constantly expanding ranks of retailers who operate proprietary innovation labs.

Demonstrating that the appeal of innovation labs is moving beyond major chains, specialty online retailer eBags is teaming with Iterate Studio to jointly create a two-part innovation lab.

New York -- A Swedish-based payments company that allows mobile shoppers to pay for a purchase after has been delivered has entered the increasingly competitive U.S. payments market.

On Tuesday, Stockholm-based Klarna announced its official U.S. launch, with Overstock.com as its first major retail partner.

Online shopping is driving more sales and foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores than ever before. In fact, Deloitte expects digital interactions will influence 64 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores by the end of 2015 – that’s $2.2 trillion worth of in-store sales that are aided by e-commerce.

Whether it’s a blustery storm that rattles your windows, or an employee who forgot their keys behind the counter, everyone has experienced the initial panic that ensues after accidentally tripping a security system alarm.

Philadelphia - Pep Boys is shifting its inventory management efforts into high gear.

The auto parts retailer is deploying the 4R Systems Inc. retail inventory solution across its 800-plus stores in 35 states and Puerto Rico.

Pep Boys holds 16 million SKUs on replenishment, and 4R's scientific algorithm matches supply with demand for each SKU throughout the entire omnichannel supply chain. The system is designed to deliver an improved customer experience and improved financial results.

Plano, Texas – The J.C. Penney Co. Inc. is in the green – green energy savings, that is.

The retailer on Wednesday announced the long-term results of various company initiatives that incorporate sustainability practices in its day-to-day business operations. It also said it would unveil a new energy initiative later this year.

New York -- Global mobile commerce is set to explode, according to Coupofy.com, a Seattle-based database of online coupon codes.  
The company predicts global mobile commerce will grow 42% annually between 2013 and 2016, compared to 13% for regular e-commerce. Mobile shoppers will spend an estimated $600 billion in 2018, up from $200 billion in 2014.

See more here.

Deerfield, Ill. - Walgreens is taking a smart approach to energy expense management.

The retailer expanded its use of EnerNOC's energy intelligence software to manage its utility bills at more than 8,300 sites across the U.S.

New York -- Consumers didn’t let the heat get them down in August.

Consumer confidence rebounded in August, rising 10. 5 points to the strongest reading in seven months after having fallen sharply in July.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its index of consumer confidence rose to 101.5 in August, up from a revised July reading of 91.0. It was the best showing since January.

Louisville, Ky. -- Appriss Inc., a provider of data, risk assessment and analytic solutions for government, health information and consumer industries, has acquired The Retail Equation, Irvine, California, a provider of predictive analytics for retail businesses. The Retail Equation will become the retail division of Appriss and will operate as a separate company within the Appriss corporate structure.