Data & Analytics

Tech Guest Viewpoint: The Modern Retailer’s Secret Weapon
Retailers are continually on a quest to find innovative technologies to help deepen customer engagement with their brand.

Yet, perhaps the most critical part of the buying journey happens when a consumer puts down her device and looks for a human being she can talk with about solving her problem – something that even the most engaging technology can’t provide by itself.
Study: Bad data hindering retailers
How good is your data?

Seventy-five percent of retailers believe inaccurate data is undermining their ability to provide an excellent customer experience, according to a study by Experian Data Quality.

Exploit these 10 trends to drive CPG growth in 2016

Conservative spending behaviors that made 2015 a challenging year for consumer packaged goods companies will remain intact for 2016, according to IRI, but there will be pockets of growth available to those who capitalize on 10 trends.
Consumers and impulse buying — perfect together

Impulse buying is alive and well in the United States.
Report: Staples cutting hundreds of jobs as part of ‘streamlining’

Staples on Monday announced several key executive moves as part of an organizational “streamlining.” But the retailer did not mention that it also was cutting hundreds of corporate jobs, according to a published report.

The report, by Fortune.com, said that pink slips were handed to both junior and senior employees of the chain.
C-store giant names CFO

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has appointed Claude Tessier as its CFO, effective Jan. 28. The leader in the Canadian convenience store industry, Couche-Tard is the largest independent convenience store operator in the United States terms of number of company-operated stores.

The industry veteran joins Couche-Tard from Canadian grocer Sobeys Inc., where he was president of the IGA Operations Business Unit.
Second quarter brings cheer to Coach

A timely acquisition helped Coach Inc.’s post a sales gain in the second quarter — its first quarterly increase in 10 quarters.

The handbag and accessories retailer’s total sales increased 4.0% in the quarter ended December 26, to $1.27 billion, up from $1.22 billion in the year ago period.
3D Printing: Protecting brand owners against counterfeiters

Since their meteoric rise last year, 3D printers have captured the imaginations of consumers and businesses alike. 3D printers work like inkjet printers on steroids — rather than depositing a single layer of ink, 3D printers spin out successive layers until a final product is created based on a computer-aided design (“CAD”) blueprint.
Study: 'Evolving drivers' fuel consumer food purchases

Consumers have begun to weigh a new set of factors when purchasing food and beverages, according to a new joint study by Deloitte, the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
HBC CEO honored as 'father of the year'

The leader of Hudson's Bay Company is also being recognized for his leadership on children's causes.

HBC CEO Jerry Stotch has been honored as a 2016 “Father of the Year.”
What’s driving wearable growth?

Consumer interest in wearables is booming for reasons that retailers should find encouraging.

New research from Mintel reveals that the U.S. wearable technology market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with estimated sales increasing 186% from 2014-2015, reaching $7 billion in 2015.

And despite just one in 10 consumers owning a fitness tracker (12%) or smartwatch (7%), 16% of consumers said they planned to purchase a fitness tracker or smartwatch in the final three months of 2015.
Report: Consumers say goodbye to Google Glass

Retailers have one less form factor to consider in their wearable connected device strategies. According to Gizmodo, Google is officially ending all support for its Google Glass connected eyewear device in the consumer market. This ends plans to relaunch Google Glass among consumers in partnership with Luxottica Group that were announced in April 2015, although Google is still promoting Google Glass as a workplace tool. [Gizmodo]