Data & Analytics

By Chris Donnelly, managing director for retail, Accenture Strategy   What do supermarkets have to gain from a price war? Judging from the battles that have been raging around the world of late, the answer is--nothing. Experience shows that they are truly a “race to the bottom”--aside from the consumer, the only possible winner is the lowest cost provider. Food retailers, however, have options for how to avoid getting drawn into a costly price war.   

New York -- Incidents of smartphone “showrooming”—seeing a product in a store, then buying it online from another retailer using a smartphone—dropped from 37% in the United States last year to 28% in 2014. But “webrooming,” in which consumers buy in a store after researching a purchase online using a smartphone, was reported by an even higher proportion of respondents, 41%.  Those are among the findings of GfK’s 2014 FutureBuy global study of shopping habits and preferences.  

Chicago -- More than 80% of shoppers visit three or more channels to carry out CPG shopping, according to IRI’s new Times & Trend report, “Channel Migration: The Road to Growth Has Many Lanes”.   

Amazon is “piloting” holiday pop-up stores this holiday season, with two confirmed locations in San Francisco and Sacramento, along with what may or may not be a permanent space in Manhattan. While theoretically Amazon is going to let the pilots run their course, analyze the results, and then possibly move forward with a rollout of more permanent brick-and-mortar stores, most observers expect the pilot is the first step in an already determined strategy to build a physical presence.  

A company called Artec Group has developed 3D software and hardware that creates a potential revenue opportunity for retailers by allowing users to create miniature replicas of themselves.

The company has introduced the Shapify Booth which is capable of creating a full scan of a person or object in 12 seconds and then producing a detailed 3D model called a “Shapie.”

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has acquired Action Pest Control as it looks to leverage the equity of its Ortho brand and drive growth in the $7 billion pest control industry.

The innovative online shopping destination Gilt.com named Clay Cowan chief marketing officer to oversee global strategy, management, and revenue, for all digital channels.

Cowan joins Gilt.com from Starwood Hotels and Resorts global digital business team where he ran digital experiences for nine global brands and Starwood's SPG loyalty program in multiple languages and countries around the world. 

With marketers all abuzz about beacons, mobile technology company Swirl Networks said it has created the first programmatic ad exchange for proximity-based in store mobile marketing.
 

Fashion footwear brand Steve Madden cited a curious lack of significant fashion trends when it lowered its full year financial outlook after reporting a third quarter sales decline.

The company, which is known to be a trend-setting in the footwear world, said sales for the period ended Sept. 30 declined 0.7% to $392 million and indicated full year sales were likely to increase 1% to 2%.

Leading retail display manufacturer Menasha and in-store beacon technology provider Shelfbucks have joined forces to create “Smart Displays” that put powerful new shopper marketing capabilities in the hands of retailers and brands.