Predictive Analytics

Boca Raton, Fla. – Keith Sherwell, who served as CIO of Sears Holding Corp from March 2010 to June 2013, has been named CIO of the Office Depot international division, effective Sept. 15. Sherwell advised the board of OfficeMax during merger negotiations with Office Depot, and has served as a technology integration consultant to Office Depot since the completion of the merger in November 2013.

Filip Technologies, developer of FiLIP, a wearable phone and locator for kids, has appointed former MapQuest executive Patrick McDevitt as SVP of engineering.

McDevitt will be in charge of the overall direction and growth of the company’s software engineering team as the company develops the next generation of wearable products for kids. He will report directly to Jonathan Peachey, CEO of Filip Technologies.

The Woodlands, Texas - Conn’s Inc. missed Wall Street expectations for profits in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, as net income dropped 8% to $17.65 million from $19.16 million. In addition to charges related to facility closures, a significant increase in delinquent customer debt in the company’s credit segment negatively impacted net income results.

Meanwhile, total revenues soared 30% to $352.96 million from $270.69 million. Same-store sales rose 11.7%.

By A.J. Clark, Thermopylae

An increased risk of an emerging El Nino and a continuation of warmer than normal ocean waters in the Atlantic will produce warmer and wetter conditions along the East Coast along with an elevated tropical system risk. The total number of tropical systems will be reduced overall, but should a storm threaten the U.S., the East Coast would be at highest risk. Much cooler weather will be common across the Plains with increased rainfall east of the Rockies.

New York -- AccuStore, a leading provider of site intelligence for retailers and multi-site operators, has added Jan Davis, president and CEO of ShopperTrak, to the board of AccuStore’s parent company, GSP.

Franklin, Tenn. -- The retail and hospitality market is entering a time of unprecedented IT growth for 2015, with overall spending expected to increase 5% over 2014  and surpass $190 billion worldwide, according to a new report by IHL, a global research and advisory firm specializing in technologies for the retail and hospitality industries.

Austin, Texas - Approximately two in three credit cardholders typically use cash for purchases of less than five dollars. According to a new CreditCards.com report, a clear generational divide in the way Americans pay for small purchases means that might not be the case for much longer.

San Francisco – Icix, a provider of supply chain risk management technology, is expanding its Audit Manager suite. Audit Manager applications help companies automate and streamline their audit programs to provide more insight and verification of trading partners’ practices and facilities.

The Icix Audit Manager Suite now includes:

Cambridge, Mass. – More than three-quarters of digital marketers say loyalty program success depends on how well they do personalization. According to “Refresh Your Approach to 1:1 Marketing,” a new survey of digital marketers from Forrester Consulting on behalf of ExactTarget Marketing Cloud, about half (48%) of digital marketers say they face challenges in personalizing individual consumer interactions.