Predictive Analytics

Yonkers, N.Y. – Sixty-two percent of U.S. online consumers have done nothing to protect their privacy on the Internet. According to a recent national Consumer Reports survey of 3,110 adults, one-in-seven online consumers were notified that their personal data had been breached in 2013, a 56% increase from 2012, and a projected 11.2 million people fell for e-mail phishing scams, up 22% from the previous year.

Profitect, a leading pattern seeking analytics provider for the retail industry, has added Ahold USA as its latest customer. Profitect is rolled out in Ahold's Giant Landover division.

Ahold USA will leverage Profitect's integrated data to improve its shrink performance by replacing legacy reporting approaches, which require large volumes of information to be interpreted, with automated resolution processes. The Profitect closed loop system creates accountability, the company said, by ensuring employees identify and resolve opportunities impacting the business.

Brown Shoe Company’s first quarter results exceeded expectations according to CEO, president and chair Diane Sullivan, and the company is raising its annual EPS guidance range as a result.

Every May, the MIT Sloan School of Management hosts a one-day CIO Symposium where great academic minds mix with great business minds. The result is always an outpouring of IT and business thought leadership, and this year was no exception. A panel of CIOs, including Adriana Karaboutis of Dell and Roger Gurnani of Verizon, discussed what leading the digital enterprise means for today’s top IT executives, and why taking a leading digital enterprise role is so critical. Following are a few insights gleaned from the session:

The technology-driven innovation spree occurring in the retail industry offers merchants, marketers and operators unprecedented shopper insights capabilities — and a host of new opportunities.

A recent Infosys Rethinking Retail Survey found that 86% of consumers who have experienced personalization technology while shopping have admitted that it has influenced their purchasing decisions. Moreover, 69% of consumers responded to the study stating that consistency of customer service across physical and online stores was of importance to them.

Walldorf, Germany – SAP AG is releasing cloud-based Rapid Deployment solutions designed to simplify deployments and move existing SAP applications to the cloud with best practices in a predictable manner that helps minimize business disruption while new solutions are implemented. SAP Rapid Deployment solutions follow a universally applicable approach for customers deploying across the cloud, on premise or in hybrid landscapes.

Although Fresh Market’s net sales exceeded Wall Street expectations, the company reported a decrease in profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2014, which it attributed to a slow start to the year brought on by severe weather in the majority of its markets.

Net sales increased 18% to $431 million from $366.63 million in the prior-year quarter, while net income fell 25% to $16.57 million from $22.12 million in the prior-year quarter. Same-store sales climbed 2.5%.

Despite bad weather and a challenging retail environment, Ross was able to post net income increases in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 by controlling inventory and expenses.

Net income increased 4% to $243.9 million from $234.6 million in the prior-year quarter.

Total net sales in the quarter increased 6% to $2.68 billion, up from $2.54 billion in last year’s first quarter. Same-store sales rose 1%.

Boston - Cone Communications has launched its new social impact tool to help companies assess, communicate and prove their progress against addressing critical social issues. The Cone Social Return Assessment is a proprietary, diagnostic tool that uncovers gaps and opportunities within three elements critical to a company's successful program: awareness, engagement and impact, and provides a plan to optimize its business and social return.