Predictive Analytics

New York – Even as retail marketing strategies shift in the new digital era, tried-and-true discounts still remain a crucial promotional device. According to new data from marketing personalization provider Sailthru, 97% of retailers use discounting as a pricing strategy.

Hoboken, N.J. – New membership-based Jet.com officially took off into wide rollout on July 21, and initial pricing analysis shows it is flying beneath competitors Amazon.com and Wal-Mart when it comes to what customers are paying.

Conshohocken, Pa. – Ikea is taking a sunny approach to energy at its soon-to-open St. Louis store. The retailer has completed installation of solar panels atop its 380,000-sq.-ft. St. Louis store opening Sept. 30.

Grand Rapids, Mich. – Back-to-school shoppers are both willing to spend more and also seeking savings this season. According to a new survey that department store chain Meijer conducted of its customers, approximately 92% of households with school-age children plan to spend the same amount or more than the previous year for back-to–school supplies.

Spokane, Wash. – Automated water management solutions vendor Apana is trying to make saving water a little easier. Apana is generally releasing its cloud-based solution for commercial and industrial companies to save water and money.

Neuhausen, Switzerland - Tyco Retail Solutions, the retail performance and security business of Tyco, has acquired U.K.-based retail intelligence technology provider FootFall for $560 million in cash. FootFall provides end-to-end technology, services and retail analytics solutions to collect, measure, and analyze customer traffic in their stores and property portfolios.  

New York – Simon Venture Group, the corporate investment arm of Simon Property Group, is among the companies saying yes to light-based data collection. Simon participated in a private funding round of $36 million led by Cisco Investments and including Acuity Brands and GE Ventures, for Sunnyvale, California-based Sensity Systems Inc.

Hoboken, N.J. – A new rival to Amazon.com has officially taken flight. Jet.com, a membership-based e-commerce platform that promises to beat Amazon Prime prices using “profit-free pricing,” launched as of July 21.

Jet says it sells millions of items, in sizes ranging from small to bulk. The site is specifically designed to compete with the Amazon Prime paid loyalty service, charging $49.99 for an annual membership fee (although it is currently offering an introductory free three-month trial).