Data & Analytics

Fast-food giant automates development strategy
Subway is more accurately planning new locations. The fast-causal restaurant chain is partnering with location intelligence provider SiteZues, to augment its development strategy. The company’s data-driven solution will combine advanced geospatial technology and visualization with Subway’s market data. The result will be more thorough and accurate insights — the foundation Subway needs to plan and expand its market growth.
Study: Online glitches jeopardize customer trust
Websites with technical difficulties do more than frustrate shoppers — they damage a brand’s reputation. This was according to a new survey from QualiTest Group. The report, which was conducted with Google Consumer Surveys in June 2017, was based on a sample of more than 1,000 respondents from the United States between the ages of 18 and 54.

First Look: Beauty giant launches new store concept

Sephora continues to experiment with store formats, and this time it's going smaller.
Is the athleisure market overcrowded?

The hottest trend in the apparel market may be at risk of over-supply. While athleisure remains popular with consumers, too many retailers have entered the category, reported CNBC.
Digital Gifting Solutions: Unlocking a blind spot in digital commerce

Consumers shopping for others bring different expectations and needs than those shopping for themselves. Until now, retailers have turned a blind eye to the enormous sales opportunities in digital gifting, which is estimated to represent $200 billion-300 billion in sales annually. Leading retailers and brands such as Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Coach, Lilly Pulitzer, Vera Bradley, and others have begun to embrace innovative, new digital gifting solutions and monetize the emerging digital gifting category.
Study: Brick-and-mortar retailers feel Prime Day fallout

Prime Day 2017 was Amazon’s biggest event yet. But the shopping marathon took a significant toll on brick-and-mortar traffic.
Department store giant’s annual anniversary sale goes digital

Nordstrom is putting a modern spin on a 50-year-old tradition. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale — an event that launched in the 1960s — is stepping up its digital game this year. To drive customer engagement throughout the two-week event which kicks off on July 21, the department store giant teamed up with Snapchat to create a custom lens that features accessories that will be highlighted during the Anniversary Sale.
How to Stay Protected in this New Age of Data Breaches

The rate at which data breaches are hitting and impacting businesses shows no sign of slowing. In fact, according to the Identify Theft Resource Center, the number of breaches so far this year has already surpassed the number of breaches around the same time last year by almost 35%. (Here’s a list of breaches that have already occurred this year.)
Menswear retailer launches its first mobile app

Destination XL Group has a new way to connect with its loyal shoppers. The menswear retailer launched its first mobile app — a move that will help it engage shoppers whether they are on-the-go or in-store. Designed with mobile commerce provider PredictSpring, the app will help Destination XL create a more modern shopping experience.
Office supplies giant adds robotics to fulfillment network

Staples is making a bold move to modernize its supply chain. The office supplies giant is adding a robotic material handling solution across its network of fulfillment centers. Designed by Great Star Industrial USA, LLC, the automated robotic storage and retrieval system incorporates two types of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) into a unified system that brings both high and low cubic velocity items to a single pick and pack station.
MarineMax revenue, comp sales sink in Q3

Softness in larger product categories and unseasonal weather in the Northeast dampened MarineMax’s third quarter earnings. For the third quarter ended June 30, MarineMax’s revenues declined to $329.8 million from $345.6 million for the same period last year. This missed Wall Street’s expectations of $383.01 million.
Wireless retailer details new store openings

Sprint is expanding its growing store network in the Pacific Northwest. The company plans to open 12 new retail locations throughout Washington by the end of 2017. Currently, Sprint operates more than 107 stores throughout the state. In Oregon, Sprint plans to open nine stores in the Portland Metro area by yearend. The carrier current has more than 64 locations throughout the market.