Data & Analytics

Whole Foods Market puts CIO on exec team
Austin, Texas -- The importance of technology is highlighted in a promotion at Whole Foods Market.

Whole Foods has promoted Jason Buechel from global VP to executive VP and CIO. As an executive VP, he is now a member of the executive management team at the company.
Foot Locker taps Target digital exec as CIO
New York -- Foot Locker has named a digital head from Target Corp. to head up its technology efforts.

The specialty athletic retailer named Pawan Verma as senior VP and CIO, effective Aug. 10. He joins Foot Locker from Target, where he has worked since 2013, most recently serving as VP, digital and marketing technologies and services platforms.

Verma succeeds Peter Brown, who retired in April after 38 years with the company.

Consumer shifting from pools to school

Bentonville, Ark. -- It’s the dog days of summer and that can only mean one thing: consumers are thinking back to school.
Report: American Express sued for misleading investors about Costco

New York -- American Express Co and Costco Wholesale Corp. are at it again.

A lawsuit has been filed accusing American Express of misleading investors about the loss of its contract with Costco after having failed to reveal how significant that business had become to the credit-card company, Reuters reported.
Adidas takes high-tech experience on the road

Portland, Ore. -- Adidas is taking its act on the road and letting shoppers get up close and personal with its high-tech footwear.

Adidas has launched “Boost Experience by Adidas,” an interactive mobile space celebrating Adidas products and its “Boost” cushioning system. To see a video of the space, which will tour the country’s top running events, click here
ChannelIQ eyes CPG growth opportunity

Retail intelligence provider ChannelIQ helps brands cope with e-commerce complexity and it just bolstered its ability to do so with a key hire from the consumer packaged goods world.
Ex-Target tech exec to become CIO at Foot Locker Inc.

Foot Locker Inc. has chosen a new IT chief to drive the company's next generation of technological advances.

The retailer has appointed Pawan Verma as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, effective Aug. 10. Verma succeeds Peter Brown, who retired in April after 38 years with the company.
Verma will oversee the company's global information technology functions and infrastructure, and provide leadership and vision to align technology with strategic business initiatives.
What it means to be 'mobile-first'

The concept of mobile first has been around for a while – most notably when Eric Schmidt announced Google would focus on ‘mobile first’ back in 2010. However, the concept still means different things to many different people.

It’s not far-fetched to say that mobile technologies have permeated our lives. You no longer go online, you are online and you carry it around in your pocket. Just like Dr. Michio Kaku says, “Today, your cell phone has more computer power than all of NASA back in 1969, when it placed two astronauts on the moon."
Instagram commerce is about to explode

Facebook is preparing to make a change on Instagram that will have a big impact on social shopping and retailers.
New online store ‘springs’ to life

Proving that no niche is too small when it comes to e-commerce, a new web store has been created to serve the narrowest of consumer needs.

DIYGarageDoorParts.com, a company that is devoted to helping people fix their own garage doors, has just expanded their selection of garage door parts. Thanks to newly-added parts, which are available through the website, people who want to repair their garage door now have even more options.
Who’s spending money … and where are they spending it?

New York -- The big spenders are at Costco.

People spent 149% more at Costco than at other retailers, according to mobile-location firm Placed, which linked store spending to tracked locations. Best Buy BJs, Sam's Club and Ikea also ranked high, Advertising Age reported.
$40.8 million revitalization of Island Walk is now underway

Palm Coast, Fla. -- A transformation is underway. Branch Properties is in the midst of a $40.8 million redevelopment of the largest (and oldest) retail shopping center in Palm Coast, Florida.

Island Walk, once called Palm Harbor Shopping Center, is a 204,000-sq.-ft. center anchored by Publix Super Markets. Once completed in 2016, the upgraded retail destination will bring new and expanded tenants and amenities to the Palm Coast community in an effort to revitalize the city’s original core.