Data & Analytics

There was a buzz at this year’s NRF Big Show surrounding Magic Mirrors, which have moved from the prototype stage to something everyone seems to be working on now.

New York -- Ebay Inc.  plans to cut about 2,400 positions, or 7% of its workforce, across eBay marketplaces, PayPal, and eBay enterprise in the current quarter to simplify its organizational structure.

The company also said it will explore strategic options for eBay enterprise, including a sale or an IPO.

Amsterdam -- Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp., will launch a digital sales showroom, at its global headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The showroom is designed to revolutioniz the sales experience for retailers by offering them a more engaging and seamless buying approach. The interactive system blends collection information, sales tools and brand content in one seamless touch-screen interface.

Spokane, Wash. -- Ecova announced it has been selected Chuck E. Cheese’s to provide utility expense and data management services. Ecova will assist the dining and entertainment company in monitoring, understanding and reducing energy use at approximately 525 locations nationwide.

Naples, Fla. -- With only nine months until the EMV migration deadline, retail and technology professionals are still unprepared, according to a recent survey by ACI Worldwide. The survey was conducted in January 2015 at the National Retail Federation’s 104th Annual Convention and Expo, “The Big Show,” in New York.

Principle findings of the survey included:

New York - U.S. companies are struggling to keep pace with their customers’ “always on” nature and greater use of digital channels. According to new research from Accenture, 56% of consumers report that the number of brands they consider has increased significantly in the past 10 years, and 46% believe they are more likely to switch providers compared to 10 years ago.

Exter, N.H. – Ice hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer Hockey has selected Epicor Retail solutions to power its first-ever retail stores. The stores , the first of which is set to open in the Boston suburb of Burlington, Massachusetts, in summer 2015 , will showcase the full Bauer product line, offer in-depth product education and will feature an ice rink where customers can test Bauer skates and gear.

Cary, N.C. – SAS Institute Inc. has recently completed rollouts of CRM, logistics and marketing solutions at several European retailers. For example, Milan, Italy-based online wine retailer Wineverse chose SAS Visual Analytics to increase customer insights and reduce supply chain costs that result in greater customer satisfaction.

Improved conversion and customer service at Brown Shoe’s Famous Footwear stores are the anticipated benefits of a new merchandise allocation and replenishment solution the company has deployed.

The 1,041 unit Famous Footwear division of Brown Shoe recently announced it had deployed the Q Allocation and Replenishment solution from Minneapolis-based Quantum Retail Technology. The Quantum solution works in conjunction with Famous Footwear’s legacy JDA solution, according to the company, to produce a wide range of benefits.

The popularity of Disney’s Frozen license and a final surge of spending allowed most U.S. toy retailers to grow sales this past holiday season, according to new data from NPD.