Data & Analytics

Study: Big restaurant chains do well overall, but some slip
Chicago – Bigger is often said to be better, but some big restaurant chains may not agree. The 500 largest restaurant chains in the U.S. accelerated their cumulative sales growth in 2014 to a 4% increase, totaling an estimated $274.4 billion, according to data released by Technomic Inc.

But some of the biggest brands among them, namely Subway and McDonald's, lost ground to focused-menu competitors and emerging fast-casual chains and reported overall sales decreases for the year.
Kirkland’s Home overhauls planning with Oracle
Chapel Hill, N.C. - Kirkland's Home has overhauled its planning architecture and strategy with a customized, automated assortment planning solution based on Oracle technology. Replacing a previous manual planning system, Oracle implementer Veltio configured the Kirkland's assortment planning solution to address the retailer’s specific challenges.

Joe Fresh to open fashion innovation center

Toronto - Joe Fresh and Ryerson University are launching a long-term partnership that will see the creation of Canada's first fashion innovation center. The Joe Fresh Centre for Fashion Innovation, made possible with a $1 million investment from Joe Fresh, will develop and fund Canada's emerging fashion-inspired businesses through Ryerson's Fashion Zone, an incubator that supports students and student entrepreneurship.
Brazil’s Etilux meets diverse supply chain needs with HighJump

Sao Paulo, Brazil – Brazilian mass merchandise retailer Etilux has selected the HighJump Warehouse Advantage warehouse management system (WMS) for its diverse supply chain needs. Etilux worked with Otimis, HighJump’s partner in Brazil, to select HighJump Warehouse Advantage.
DirectBuy names manufacturing vet as VP of sales

Merrillville, Ind. – Membership-based buying club DirectBuy has named Curt Fisher VP of sales. He brings more than 20 years of experience customer relationship management in Fortune 500 companies, including the past three years as Chicago-area general manager of residential HVAC manufacturer Goodman Manufacturing.
Frito-Lay exec joins IDC as retail analyst

Framingham, Mass. - A six-sigma green belt, Victoria Brown joins IDC Retail Insights as senior research analyst, retail supply chain. In this new role, Brown will spearhead the supply chain research program.

She will be covering topics such as inventory management, warehouse management, logistics and omnichannel distributed order orchestration. Most recently, Brown served as a supply chain leader, overseeing load balance and tracking distribution channels for the third-largest plant in Frito Lay North America.
Exclusive: A look at Quay Valley

By Roy Higgs
Kirkland’s makes assortment planning change

The 330-unit specialty retailer Kirkland’s is looking to grow sales following a dramatic upgrade to its assortment planning process.

The company switched from a manual system running on Microsoft Excel to Oracle’s portfolio of assortment, financial, location and item planning solutions. Kirkland’s work with Veltio, the leading consultancy in the design, implementation and tuning of Oracle planning and optimization solutions for the retail industry.
Omnichannel inversion: When clicks meet bricks

Digital-first doesn’t mean digital-only. At least not anymore. Some brands have already embraced that lesson in a bold way, and many others are taking notice.
4 things every retailer needs to know about mobile

The rapid changes in the digital and mobile world are radically affecting consumer behavior, disrupting traditional means of retailer/consumer interaction and influencing buying behavior and payment options in an unprecendented way.

Capitalizing on these technological innovations means keeping a close eye on the ways in which innovations in technology are turning the retail world upside down. There is no better way to do this than attend Mobile World Congress.
Toys ‘R’ Us swings to Q4 profit; targets $100 to $175 million in spending cuts

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys “R” Us Inc. swung to a profit in the fourth quarter, amid a major restructuring initiative that looks to cut up to another $175 million in expenses.
Amazon wins FAA approval to test delivery drones outdoors — with conditions

New York -- Amazon.com has received preliminary approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to test drone delivery. Although consumers should not expect packages to be dropped on their porches by buzzing unmanned aircraft anytime soon, just getting the OK to test the devices is regarded as a big win for the online retail giant.