Data & Analytics

Three executives at Hormel Foods will be advancing to new roles as of Oct. 28.

Mark D. Vaupel, currently director of information technology services, will advance to VP of information technology services. Swen Neufeldt, currently director of business development in Asia, general manager of China and VP of Hormel Foods International, will advance to president of Asia Pacific, Hormel Foods International. And Jeffrey A. Grev, currently director of corporate development, will advance to director of legislative affairs.

London - Shopitize, a U.K.-based provider of mobile, interactive shopping intelligence, is using Tableau's visual analytics to provide actionable insight into consumers' brand-specific shopping baskets. Shopitize is providing brand partners with access to real-time retail intelligence.

By Steve Sensing, VP, Ryder System

Washington, D.C. – Total Halloween spending will reach $7.4 billion. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) Halloween Consumer Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average person will spend $77.52 this Halloween, compared to $75.03 the prior year.

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and global sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future have launched a project to empower sustainability initiatives, Retail Horizons. The project is being launched ahead of the RILA 2014 Retail Sustainability Conference held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, in Minneapolis. Click here for a two-minute video on the program.  

Walmart already offers a prepaid debit card, credit card, check cashing and money transfers, but it’s expanding its financial services to include an exclusive checking account called GoBank, with Green Dot Corp., a prepaid-cards specialist.

The checking account is linked to MasterCard debit cards. GoBank, which will be available nationwide by the end of October, doesn’t charge overdraft fees or minimum balance fees and waives the monthly membership cost of $8.95 with qualifying direct deposits of $500 a month.

Wayne, N.J. – Toys ‘R Us Inc. plans to hire 45,000 seasonal employees at its stores and distribution centers nationwide, more than doubling the company’s workforce, as it prepares for the 2014 holiday shopping season.

The positions include sales associates, stock crew and omnichannel fulfillment teams, as well as distribution center workers and department managers.

Seattle – The retail industry is expected to benefit from mobile commerce, free shipping offers, in-store pickup promotions and e-commerce videos during the 2014 holiday season. According to global analytics and insights firm Blueocean Intelligence, the top six digital and social media trends that will drive sales for retailers in the upcoming holiday season are: