Data & Analytics

Seattle – Consumers like the Firefly feature that lets users of the Amazon Fire phone scan objects to obtain information and perform instant purchase on Amazon.com, but not enough to switch from their current phones to Amazon Fire. According to a survey of 53 consumers from UserTesting, 84% chose Firefly as their number one or two favorite feature of Amazon Fire.

Washington, D.C. - Almost three-quarters of Americans worry about the quantity of personal information available online and more than half feel they cannot trust social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to keep their contact information, buying habits and political beliefs confidential. According to a new poll conducted by Rad Campaign, Lincoln Park Strategies, and Craigconnects, online security concerns rise as Americans get older.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. – The Wet Seal Inc. has named Iris Mobile as its mobile messaging agency. Iris Mobile will support the brand's mobile marketing programs with Rich Media Messaging (RMM) to help the retailer strengthen its presence and connect more personally with its mobile customers.

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is warning retailers about a new, nearly indetectable computer virus known as “Backoff” that poses a threat to POS systems. According to an advisory from Homeland Security, most antivirus software cannot recognize Backoff.

Seattle – Nordstrom has entered into an agreement to acquire Trunk Club, a personalized clothing service for men. Trunk Club's 250 personal stylists build one-to-one relationships with their members to understand their lifestyles and styling preferences before hand-selecting merchandise that is then shipped to the customer.

Customers keep what they like and return the rest for free. There is no membership fee, no obligations and no commitments.

Cambridge, Mass. – Target is the grocery brand with the highest positive consumer sentiment rating. In a survey of the grocery habits of 763 consumers exclusively released to Chain Store Age, analytics technology provider Luminoso Technology found that 60% of consumers had positive sentiment about Target as a grocery retailer.

Orlando, Fla. – Accesso Technology Group plc has released the latest Accesso Passport e-commerce solution. The latest version provides the ability to leverage Accesso’s features across any device.

Seattle – Amazon.com is reportedly expanding a pilot of in-home installation and repair services from Seattle to markets including New York and Los Angeles. According to Reuters, Amazon has been running the pilot in Seattle since mid-2012.

Atlanta – The Home Depot Inc. has promoted Ted Decker to executive VP of merchandising, effective Aug. 4. Decker is a 14-year veteran of The Home Depot, where he most recently served as senior VP of retail finance, pricing analytics and assortment planning.