Data & Analytics

Study: Email will be the shining star this holiday season
For all the buzz about interactive digital marketing options, the track record of email keep it at the top of marketers’ holiday wish lists. This was according to the “2017 Christmas in July Survey,” a study from j2 Global. The study tapped 564 members of its customer base and 100 retailers.
Walmart developing facial recognition technology
The nation's largest retailer is working on technology to enable store associates to respond more quickly to potential customer service issues. The chain is developing facial recognition technology to detect frustrated or unhappy shoppers, according to a report by Business Insider. The technology uses video cameras at checkout lines that monitor customers' facial expressions and movements to identify varying levels of dissatisfaction, according to a patent filing, the report said.

Discounter pulling plug on loyalty program

Target is discontinuing its mobile Cartwheel Perks rewards program, but new app-based improvements are underway. The discounter alerted shoppers participating across its five test markets via email that its “perks pilot is winding down.” Shoppers have until August 27, to collect points toward perks rewards, and all rewards must be redeemed by October 27, according to Target.
Study: Loyalty programs need a digital boost

Expensive, ineffective loyalty programs are in need of a makeover. Retailers that shift to digital-centric programs that engage and promote brand advocacy will retain the loyalty of customers, according to the “Intelligence Report: Loyalty 2017.” The report, from L2, evaluates the successes and pitfalls of loyalty programs for 99 consumer brands across activewear, beauty, big box, department stores, and specialty retail.
Deloitte: Back-to-college spend to outpace back-to-school sales two-fold

Retailers who fail to promote back-to-college offers and savings this year do so at their own peril.
Amazon adds a shoppable “Spark” to Prime

Amazon Prime is getting more social as the online giant looks for yet more ways to entice shoppers to buy. On Wednesday, the online giant launched Amazon Spark, a new shoppable social media feed for its Prime members. Described as “a place to discover things from people who share your interests,” Spark will help Prime users discover — and shop for -- merchandise found across followers’ stories and ideas, according to Amazon’s website.
Target CEO: Hispanics are shopping less

An important demographic for many retailers appears to be staying home more these days. In remarks at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech Conference in Aspen, Colorado, Target CEO Brian Cornell cited an 11% dip in shopping activity among Hispanic consumers in the past several months. (A Target spokesman said later he was referencing industrywide data from the NPD Group, The Star-Tribune reported.) “There’s almost a cocooning factor,” Cornell said.
Study: The most sought-after roles to transform operations are…

Businesses are eager to better serve their clients, but most lack the skills, processes and technology needed to leverage data effectively. In fact, 61% of U.S. companies agree that inaccurate data is undermining their ability to provide an excellent customer experience, according to “Investing in Digital Transformation: The Year’s Most Sought-After Data Roles,” a report from Experian Data Quality.
Home goods retailer inspires shoppers through AI, social media

West Elm is upping the ante on how it recommends merchandise to customers. The company, a division of Williams-Sonoma, introduced a new online tool that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to detect customers’ style patterns and connect them with products they can buy at West Elm stores and online. Called the Pinterest Style Finder, the tool is powered by Clarifai’s image and video recognition AI technology.
Pizza giant launches aggressive hiring spree

Pizza Hut is making big moves to improve the accuracy and reliability of its delivery experience. The subsidiary of Yum! Brands plans to hire nearly 3,000 new drivers a month through the end of the year. The hiring effort, which will include full and part-time positions, will add approximately 14,000 new drivers across its delivery fleet, according to the company.
Online giant blending offline and online grocery — and it's not Amazon

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has stepped up its efforts to combine physical retail with online in the supermarket space.
Survey: Fast response times critical to customer experience and brand loyalty

Retailers who frustrate consumers risk brand abandonment. Almost half of North American and European consumers surveyed by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council say they will abandon a brand if they continuously encounter a poor, impersonal or frustrating customer experience across channels of engagement. The study was undertaken in partnership with SAP Hybris.