Data & Analytics

Black Friday weekend is just around the corner. But as retailers remained focused on one-day sales, exclusive sneak peeks and door busters, they are missing the boat on a much more lucrative opportunity — Singles’ Day.  

LG Electronics is taking its LG Signature brand on the road, opening a pop-up at Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, California, Nov. 8 through Nov. 13.   The LG Signature Gallery concept was officially launched in Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center earlier this fall. Similar to the New York City concept, the LG Signature pop-up structure on the West Coast is created entirely of LED panels on all four sides.   

While Singles’ Day has morphed into the world’s biggest shopping extravaganza, the event’s allure may be losing some luster.  

Creating a true “commerce-meets-content” experience, PetSmart introduced a new website that complements its omnichannel efforts.   Reflecting feedback from shoppers, the new PetSmart site takes a fresh approach to pet supply shopping by featuring new services that streamline how its customers shop and receive desired merchandise. In addition to one-page checkout for example, shoppers can also choose from tailored delivery options, like recurring subscription-based shipping, scheduled delivery and same-day delivery. 

Auditing your shipping invoices saves money. But just as importantly it yields valuable business intelligence through a rich depository of captured data that helps you make informed decisions as you improve operations.  

“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future," as Nils Bohr, the Nobel laureate physicist put it. But as the end of 2016 approaches, it’s useful to look forward and try to anticipate the cybersecurity trends that lie ahead, and to reflect on what’s happened over the past year, to see how accurate previous predictions were.    For 2016, our predicted cybersecurity threats included:  

Macerich’s tech-driven, HGTV-sponsored Santa Claus experience will be expanded to five properties in California, Chicago, and metro New York this Christmas season.   Kids can download an Elf-Ray Vision app to their smartphones—or used a provided tablet — to explore “Santa HQ” in 3D, take an Elfie Selfie to insert themselves in a customized holiday video, or test their gift-worthiness on the Naughty or Nice O’Meter. A 10,000-bulb synchronized light show at the attraction plays the Carol of the Bells.

Just in time to streamline the upcoming holiday e-commerce sales rush, Hudson’s Bay Co. is touting a new robotic fulfillment system.   Called the first of its kind in Canada, the new state-of-the-art robotic fulfillment system is housed in the department store chain’s 752,000 sq.-ft. Scarborough distribution center, which manages the chain’s e-commerce operations.    

On the heels of the announcement that Walter Robb would step down as co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, more changes may be in store the grocery chain.   One of Whole Food’s 10 largest shareholders has met with potential activist investors explore making major changes to the retail, including replacing management and exploring a sale of the company, Bloomberg reported.

Whole Foods Market is preparing to roll out a rewards program nationwide amid increasing competition for its shippers. .   Coinciding with the company’s “strategy around leading a race to the top in terms of a differentiated customer experience,” the grocer plans to launch the rewards program in 2017, Whole Foods’ CEO John Mackey said in the company’s earnings call on Wednesday, Nov. 2. He did not reveal a specific start-date.