Predictive Analytics

North York, Canada - Leon’s Furniture has launched a newly upgraded e-commerce site featuring a fully responsive design, using technology and development services from Blueport Commerce. The new Leon’s website features design and functionality improvements including JavaScript technology to improve homepage, product detail page and shopping cart speed.

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Customer satisfaction with goods and services purchased and consumed in the U.S. suffered a fifth consecutive quarterly decline, sending the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to its lowest point since 2006. According to the ACSI, the national level of customer satisfaction is down 0.7% to 74.7 on a 100-point scale in the first quarter of 2015 and is off 2.7% since peaking in the fourth quarter 2013.

Seattle – Amazon.com is reportedly using a proprietary machine learning solution to analyze online customer reviews and present newer and more relevant reviews first. According to CNet, the system takes into account factors such as newness, whether the review was written by a verified Amazon purchaser and how many customers found the review helpful.

Minneapolis – Furniture retailer Room & Board has aligned its online and in-store customer experience with Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s predictive digital marketing capabilities. Room & Board has improved the customer experience and delivered more relevant information, which in turn has increased the average order value by 16% and delivered a 2,900% ROI payback during a two-month period.

This has resulted in a significant increase in online sales and improved loyalty.

Cloud computing has become nearly ubiquitous, but are retailers making the best use of cloud services when it comes to managing sensitive customer data? Deciding what customer data should be stored in the cloud and what data should be stored on-premises behind a company’s firewall is a question every retail company has to grapple with.

Whether buying online or in the store, consumers today want more control over their shopping experience. If they could have greater control, the number one aspect that consumers would change is the frustration of waiting in a long checkout line in store. In fact, industry research has shown that 52% of consumers say they would actually take their business elsewhere if their checkout wait times exceed five to 10 minutes.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- There is a disconnect between IT and loss prevention departments when it comes to budgets, focus and staffing, according to a study by IHL Group and Axis Communications.

Walnut Creek, Calif. – Retailers are increasingly placing a high value on competitive price intelligence.

A new survey of 123 retailers from RSR Research co-sponsored by 360pi, “Pricing 2015,” indicates 59% of respondents reported competitive price intelligence as very valuable.

The survey also shows that competitive price intelligence was cited as the top intent for change at 34% of “retail winners” and 50% of “retail laggards.” Additional takeaways include:

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid's first-quarter earnings plunged 55%, mainly on costs tied to a $2 billion acquisition. The chain also lowered its full-year profit outlook.

The drugstore chain in February announced that it would buy pharmacy benefits manager EnvisionRx.  Rite Aid said it expects the deal, expected to close by the beginning of July, to increase its annual revenue by as much as 18.6%.

The retailer earned $18.8 million in the quarter that ended May 30, down from $41.4 million in the year ago period.

Fort Worth, Texas -- There was good news in Pier 1 Imports’ first quarter performance, including a 2% increase in same-store sales.

The retailer reported net income of $6.9 million for the quarter, ended May 30, down from $15.1 million in the year-ago period. Its results were in line with expectations.