Data & Analytics

The acquisition of TaskRabbit allows Ikea to efficiently remove one key barrier (the dislike of furniture assembly) for a segment of customers that have until this point avoided Ikea.  

M.Gemi, the Boston-based Italian-made footwear brand, is using a digital tool to drive in-store customer satisfaction.   The direct-to-consumer retailer, which was founded online but recently jumped to the physical space, has launched an app for store associates that combines online and offline functions, allowing associates to provide an elevated experience for store shoppers.     

The nation's supermarket retailers are positioning themselves to capture a significant majority of online grocery sales over the next decade or so.   That's according to Joe McKeska, president of Elkhorn Real Estate Partners. He made his remarks during a panel discussion at Marquette University’s annual commercial real estate conference.  

Tailored Brands has taken steps to identify shoppers and drive customer satisfaction.   The menswear company operates more than 1,400 locations in the U.S. and Canada, as well as digital channels, across a variety of brands. By partnering with ForeSee, Tailored Brands now has a solution that manages all customer experience (CX) intelligence from one centralized location.  

Consumers are growing increasingly comfortable using connected devices for daily tasks — and shopping is not far behind.    As more devices connect to chatbots and virtual assistants, an increasing number of consumers are ready to embrace the automation and convenience delivered by IoT technologies. Nearly half of consumers (48%) said they would feel comfortable with a connected device, such as a refrigerator, ordering items on their behalf.  

Despite the rise of electronic, mobile and contactless payments, physical currency remains a favored choice for consumers in the United States.   This was according to “In Cash Consumers Trust. But How Do Retailers Make it Pay?,” a report from cash technology solutions provider Glory. The study is based on responses from 1,500 consumers in the U.S., U.K. and Australia.  

Sonic has been targeted in a cyber-attack.   The restaurant chain, which is known for drive-up ordering kiosks and roller skating waitresses, has confirmed it has suffered a data security breach. Specifically, the incident has jeopardized the security of credit cards from up to 5 million customers, according to KrebsOnSecurity, which first broke the news.  

Unfazed by store closures, shoppers plan to get most of their holiday shopping done in-store this year.    Nearly three-quarters of consumers (71%) plan to do the majority of their holiday shopping in physical stores — the same percentage from a similar poll a year ago. Additionally, the vast majority (88%) plan to at least visit stores this holiday season.