Data & Analytics

Back in October, I commemorated my six-month anniversary as technology editor of Chain Store Age with a column looking at how retail IT has been disrupted in recent years. Now that I have a full year under my belt, I thought it would be interesting to look at how customer expectations of retail IT have been disrupted in recent years (and don’t worry, there will be no 18-month anniversary piece). Three paradigm-shifting changes in how retailers must now engage with customers using technology stand out.

Every Man is an Island

Dallas — Shayan Holdings has purchased the 29,200-sq.-ft. Lebanon Ohio Center, an unanchored strip retail complex, in Frisco, Texas. The seller was LandPlan Development Corporation. The price was not disclosed.

The center is currently 90% occupied. Tenants include CrossFit Remedy and Arts and Technology Institute. CBRE’s Dallas office represented the seller in the transaction and conducted the financial analysis.

Washington, D.C. — Simon Property Group and NRG eVgo (ee-vee-go), a subsidiary of NRG Energy will host an amped-up Earth Day Electric Car Caravan to unveil three new electric car fast-charging Freedom Station sites at St. Charles Towne Center, Bowie Town Center and Queenstown Premium Outlets in Maryland. The caravan will attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies at each center on April 22.

Los Angeles — Brooke Lauter and Nadene Gallagher, two Southern California marketing executives known for creating successful branding and marketing solutions for corporate and entrepreneurial clients, have joined forces to form Lauter + Gallagher.  

Umang Shah was named global director for social media and digital marketing at Campbell’s after serving in a similar capacity at Walmart for the past two years.

New product introductions aren’t what they used to be as evidenced by Doritos “Bold Flavor Experiment” involving mysterious variants of the spicy chips.

The Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo this week is introducing three new flavors of the Doritos Jacked brand to the snack food but not telling shoppers what they are called. The unconventional approach to generating trial also involves a unique contest element to encourage shoppers to digitally engage with the brand.

Whole Foods is experimenting with transforming food waste generated at stores into organic fertilizer by using a piece of equipment called the WISErg Harvester.

The Harvester is a piece of equipment with a footprint about the size of a typical pallet that promises to change the way retailers dispose of food waste. The Harvester unit ingests food scraps from overripe produce and unsold prepared foods and converts them into a liquid that can be made into an organic fertilizer.

Office Depot has launched a digital campaign called “Teachers Change Lives. So Can You” to help raise awareness and funds for classroom supplies for teachers.

As a thank you to these educators, Office Depot has partnered with AdoptAClassroom.org, a national organization dedicated to collecting and distributing funds to teachers, who in many cases use their own money to purchase classroom supplies to ensure each student has the tools to succeed.

Acme Tools, a leading authorized online retailer of tools and equipment, has launched its new mobile version of AcmeTools.com for online customers using smartphones.  

Developed by BlueSky Technology Partners, the new mobile platform leverages Acme Tools' ongoing investment in IBM WebSphere Commerce to deliver a seamless online shopping experience regardless of how customers choose to browse and buy.

American Express added Walmart’s U.S. network of 4,100 stores as locations where customers can participate in the card issuers prepaid Serve offering.