Data & Analytics

When it comes to providing a satisfactory customer experience, online retailers have to deliver on their promises.   Sixty-six percent of e-commerce shoppers consider delivery a decisive factor when shopping online, according to a new study by enterprise delivery experience solution provider Convey. In addition, 70% of consumers report they are unlikely to return after a poor delivery experience.  

Customers who belong to a retailer’s loyalty program spend more — significantly more — than those who do not.   That’s according to a new study by Accenture Interactive, which found that members of retailers’ loyalty programs generate between 12% and 18% more revenue for retailers than those who do not belong. The report was based on a survey of U.S. retailers across specialty, big-box, department, drug and convenience stores.   

Walmart is trimming administrative positions in some 500 stores in the West.   According to multiple media reports, the discount giant will cut three backroom accounting and invoicing positions at each store, for a total of 1,500 jobs. Affected employees will not be laid off, but instead offered front-of-store roles such as pharmacy technician or assisting pickups of online orders. Invoicing tasks will be shifted to corporate headquarters in Arkansas, while accounting functions will be automated.  

Photo: Colin Calvert (Left) and Caroline Pham (Right)  

Cars that drive themselves are yesterday’s news. The next big thing may be shopping carts that essentially do the same.   

And then there were 10 — technology start-ups that is. And the lineup ranges from one that develops apps for supply chain inspectors to one that creates wearable technology that helps users prevent sexual assaults. 

Rural lifestyle retailer Tractor Supply Co. has been strengthening its IT infrastructure to support growth, and now is turning its attention to pricing.   Tractor Supply Co. plans to grow from 1,500 to 2,500 stores, and has been shifting to a Web-scale architecture and new ERP platform. Now the company is extending an existing partnership with merchandise optimization solutions provider Revionics Inc. through 2019.  

If it seems like more if your inventory is disappearing, you’re probably not imagining things.   According to the 2016 National Retail Federation (NRF) Retail Security Study, conducted in collaboration with the University of Florida, retailers’ inventory shrink averaged 1.38% of retail sales, or $45.2 billion in 2015, up by 3% from $44 billion the previous year.  

Internet shopping is extremely popular, but how much room for further growth is there?   According to a new study of more than 3,300 U.S. consumers age 15 and up from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the overall move to online shopping is expected to slow considerably during the next three years.  

Today’s consumers are more hurried than ever, and even traditional e-commerce apps may not move quickly enough to satisfy them.   New York-based specialty electronics retailer B&H Photo Video, which operates a single superstore as well as a global e-commerce site, is taking advantage of a new app-sharing feature from Google. Known as Android Instant Apps, it allows users to have a native app experience without actually download an Android app from the Play Store.