Data & Analytics

Electrolux plans to expand its North American headquarters, their second expansion at this location in three years, and will be adding 810 new local jobs as a result.

The new jobs are in the areas of research and development, marketing, design, engineering, supply chain, finance, IT and executive management, and will be added by the end of 2017.

I’ll hold off on talking about the holiday shopping season in detail until all the numbers are in, but it’s clear that we’ve already learned quite a lot from 2013. In fact, the more I think about this past year the more I think that the holiday numbers aren’t even the most important takeaway. What’s far more interesting to me is what 2013 has to tell us about where we go next. With that in mind, here’s my early take on what 2014 might have in store (and in stores!) for us:

Slow, steady and sustainable growth

Southern Wine & Spirits has enhanced its forecasting and replenishment capabilities with the appointment of Mel Velez as VP of demand planning and logistics.

The company said the addition of Velez to an already industry leading supply chain management team will further enhance its ability to deliver excellence in service to divisional and retail customers, as well as to continue to enhance and expand partnerships with suppliers across the Southern enterprise. He will report to Phil Morsing, VP of supply chain operations.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. household purchases rose 0.5% in November 2013. According to new figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce, this followed a 0.4% increase in October that was larger than previously reported and is the largest increase since July 2013.

A 1,500-store market potential and an untapped online opportunity await Michaels Stores in 2014 as the retailer’s private equity owners look to sell a portion of their stake and return the nation’s largest arts and crafts retailer to public ownership.
 

Chicago -- Rough weather last week prevented many last-minute shoppers from getting to the stores to finish up their holiday purchasing. ShopperTrak reported that for the week of Dec. 16 to Dec. 22, GAFO in-store retail sales decreased by 3.1% from the same week last year. Retail brick-and-mortar shopper traffic decreased by 21.2% compared to the same time period in 2012.

E-commerce has redefined the retail shopping experience and shaped the fate of retailers in many sectors. Grocers have been the exception thus far, but that is about to change in a major way.

Site search specialist SLI Systems has elected New Zealand marketer and social media executive Andy Lark as a non-executive independent director.

"We are very pleased to add Andy's wealth of global brand, e-commerce and marketing experience to the SLI Board," said SLI Systems Chairman Greg Cross. "With his direct experience of building and funding businesses, he is conversant with the challenges unique to a fast-growing technology company like SLI Systems."