Data & Analytics

Greensboro, N.C. - Convenience store operator Mapco recently partnered with Gilbarco Veeder-Root to install the Impulse upselling platform across 220 sites by the end of 2014. Mapco, which operates 375 stores in the Southeast, is using the Impulse platform to drive dynamic digital content at both the point-of-sale and through their mobile application.

PowerReviews, a leading provider of ratings, reviews and question-and-answer technology, is partnering with Olapic, a visual commerce platform for collecting, curating and sharing customer photos and videos on e-commerce sites.

The companies believe their strategic partnership can help brands and retailers create more authentic and compelling e-commerce experiences by capturing and embedding user-generated content such as ratings, reviews, images and video directly into the purchase path.

By Navneet Loiwal, CEO and co-founder of Shopular

Tractor Supply Co. plans to open two pet-focused stores under the new “HomeTown Pet” brand.

The new pet supply retail concepts operated by Tractor Supply Company will open in mid-November in Franklin and Fairview, cities within close proximity to the company’s headquarters.

Fort Mill, S.C. -- The security of credit and debit card information is a bigger concern for consumers (93%) than their health (84%), retirement savings (81%) or losing their cell phone (63%), according to a new consumer trust survey from Honeywell. 

Plano, Texas - Rent-A-Center Inc. has named Jana Kelly to VP of inventory management. Reporting to John Butler, senior VP, supply chain, Kelly will lead the forecasting, inventory planning, allocation and replenishment of all domestic store products.

Kelly brings more than 14 years of experience in inventory-management leadership, most recently at MetroPCS Communications, where she led the mobile device supply chain strategy.

Belk, Discovery Education and the International Society for Technology in Education have launched the Belk Service Learning Challenge, a comprehensive standards-aligned program encouraging middle school students to facilitate positive changes in their communities by applying critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity skills to a service-learning project of their choice.

Cranbury, N.J. - Carid.com, an automotive parts and accessories retailer, has partnered with the could-based hosting company Rackspace. Carid.com uses an architecture consisting of dedicated database servers connected to multiple cloud Web servers, allowing the company to deliver relevant information, useful online tools and the latest technology, as well as offer users consistent performance with no delays.