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Data & Analytics

  • Visa: Holiday spending strongest in five years

    Holiday sales not only beat expectations among industry observers, it hit a five-year high.   Retail sales grew by 4.8% through the holiday season, as compared to the same period in 2015 — and November and December spending growth is the strongest it’s been in five years, according to a new report from Visa.   “The Visa Retail Spending Monitor” tracks retail sales, with the exception of autos, gas, and restaurants, among retail goods, services and stores on Visa payment products. 

  • Eight out of 10 retailers say they need stores; only half of consumers agree

    An international study conducted by Capgemini found 80% of retail executives believing in the sanctity of the physical store. Only 45% of shoppers, however, felt the same way.   The consulting company’s Digital Transformation Institute surveyed 6,000 consumers and 500 retailers in the U.S., China, and seven European nations and found a consumer base much more taken up with technology and online shopping than leading merchants were.  

  • Home furnishings retailer develops next-gen cloud-based engagement platform

    Crate and Barrel is taking its omnichannel experience into its own hands.   The home furnishings chain is the latest retailer to join forces with Infor to co-develop the Infor CloudSuite Retail, a suite of application offerings that can be tailored to an individual retailer’s needs. The software prod-uct is designed to deliver superior interactions for store associates and consumers.   

  • Report: Walmart realigns leadership to blend online and stores

    Walmart has made some big changes in its executive ranks, bringing together management of its Web and retail teams.     The changes, which the chain has not officially announced, come on the heels of media reports that Karenann Terrell would step down as CIO of Wal-Mart Stores on Feb. 24. As reported by CNBC.com, Walmart’s executive realignment includes the following:  

  • Home improvement giant to cut some jobs in new store staffing model

    Lowe’s Cos. is shifting to a new staffing model for its stores that will result in the loss of some jobs nationwide.   The new model will be rolled out across Lowe’s stores and is designed to free up resources to boost customer service, CNBC reported.     

  • Study: The first ‘digitally native’ generation shops in stores

    Generation Z grew up online, but that doesn’t mean that’s where they do all their shopping.    Sixty-seven percent of Gen Z — the first “digitally native” group to grow up not knowing a world before cellular phones, smartphones and other digital devices — said they shop in a bricks-and-mortar store most of the time, with another 31% shopping in-store sometimes, in a new survey by IBM and the National Retail Federation.  

  • Jeweler strengthens payment security

    Helzberg Diamonds is taking steps to ward off credit card fraud.   The jeweler has implemented NCR Connected Payments to mitigate payment card theft and fraud risks for its customers. The cloud-based payment solution provides data and transmission protection, from PIN pad to payment processor, reducing Helzberg’s exposure to potential payment data theft and fraud.   

  • Amazon settles price advertising case for more than $1 million

    Amazon is being penalized for inaccurate pricing practices on its Canadian website.    According to the Competition Bureau, a Canadian independent law enforcement agency, Amazon will pay a $1 million penalty and $100,000 towards the Competition Bureau’s costs — punishment for violating the Competition Act, a law that ensures consumers are not misled by references to inflated regular prices.   
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