Data & Analytics

How big was Amazon’s sales increase on Prime Day?
New York -- So, how did Amazon make out with its 20th anniversary super-sale event on Wednesday?

Not surprisingly, the online giant wasn’t giving out many details, beyond saying that members shopped at record rates during its first ever “Prime Day.” A different story played out on social media, with consumers expressing frustration and disappointments about the quality of the offered deals.
How Retailers Can Leverage Shopper Empathy to Increase In-Store Sales
It’s no secret that in order to create great customer experiences and maximize sales, it’s imperative to have a deep understanding of the motivations that drive your customers’ buying behaviors and preferences. This is true across the entire path to purchase — from advertising to point of sale and beyond. So far, this is “motherhood and apple pie” to any marketer.

Google in two big moves sure to impact retail

New York -- Google made two announcements on Wednesday, both of which will impact retail.

In the first, the search engine giant said that the “buy” buttons it announced earlier this year will be deployed on a test basis in the next few weeks. The feature, called Purchases on Google, will allow consumers to purchase products directly from ads in select promoted mobile search ads.
Target Open House, San Francisco
eBay to shed enterprise unit for $925M

eBay is selling its enterprise business as it continues streamline operations in anticipation of its separation from PayPal Holdings Inc. on Friday.

In announcing its second quarter results, eBay said it was selling its eBay Enterprise division, which helps retailers enhance their online presence and e-commerce capabilities, to a consortium led by private equity firm Permira for $925 million.
Amazon's big sale, or big fail?

While the social buzz regarding Amazon Prime Day on Wednesday, July 15, has been not so prime, early reports indicate the event was a success sales-wise.
Staples launches refresh of e-commerce sites

Staples Inc. has unveiled several enhancements to its e-commerce operations, including new looks for its websites and streamlined checkout features.

The retailer says the refresh of Staples.com features faster performance, a new interface designed for easier navigation and expanded personalization. A leading edge business to business site, the redesigned StaplesAdvantage.com has an updated look and feel with a new homepage dashboard, streamlined browsing and checkout.
Birchbox gets real — with virtual reality

New York - Online beauty and grooming subscription retailer Birchbox is the latest brand to dip into virtual reality.
Tech company names former Staples, Walmart exec as CIO

New York -- A former chief information officer at Walmart is joining retail technology firm Newgistics.

Gene Wojciechowski has been named CIO of Newgistics, where he will be tasked with providing executive leadership and strategic direction for all of Newgistics’ core technology operations.
Square thinks big
NRF: Back-to-school shoppers take studied approach

Washington, D.C. - Parents this year will be a little more cautious about their back-to-school spending.

According to NRF’s Back-to-School Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average family with children in grades K-12 plans to spend $630.36 on school needs.
MasterCard takes on world with MasterPass

Munich, Germany – There is more news in the fast-growing digital wallet sector.

MasterCard and payment gateway solution provider Pay.On are partnering to make the MasterPass digital wallet application available to more than 110 payment service providers (PSPs) via Pay.On’s white label global payment gateway. MasterPass is now available to more than 56,000 Web shops worldwide that route payments through Pay.On’s partners.