Data & Analytics

Retail organizations may not typically seek the services of a “marriage counselor,” but for retailers looking to implement innovative and disruptive technologies, global startup investor and accelerator Plug and Play Tech Center can help find the perfect partner.

“We’re a marriage counselor between retailers and startups,” confirmed Michael Olmstead, director, Plug and Play Retail. “We gain an in-depth understanding of retailers’ pain points.”

BitPay, a payment service provider (PSP) specializing in e-commerce, B2B and enterprise solutions for the bitcoin digital currency, has expanded its San Francisco office with several new hires.

The company has named Sonny Singh as its chief commercial officer to oversee all sales operations. With more than 15 years of experience in helping to grow tech companies, Singh will be responsible for increasing BitPay’s customer base of more than 40,000 merchants.
 

Plano, Texas – Pizza Hut Inc. is deploying energy management systems from Entouch Controls at 500 corporate stores. The company plans to recommend the Entouch technology to its 5,800 franchised stores, as well.

In the alternative universe where Amazon resides, surging expenses that eat into the company’s profitability are viewed favorably. If Walmart were afforded the same treatment its stock would have surged after it was revealed increased labor, health care and e-commerce costs eroded second quarter profits.

All laundry detergent’s most recent ad campaign, called “Summer Play,” encourages consumers to turn their mobile devices into a movie-making machine, thanks to Magisto’s cloud-based smart technology.

Framingham, Mass. - Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, has launched a Technology Recycling Service. The program, offered in partnership with Electronic Recyclers International Inc. (ERI) allows businesses of all sizes to recycle large volumes of electronics in a secure manner.

Staples Advantage’s new program allows businesses to recycle equipment – from cell phones and keyboards to telecom equipment and multi-function devices – via three steps:

1. Order recycling boxes online.

Advance Auto Parts demonstrated strength in its second quarter performance in one of the retail industry’s hottest sectors.

Roanoke, Va. -- Advance Auto Parts beat Wall Street projections with a 19% profit increase in the second quarter – from $116.9 million last year to $139.5 million.

The acquisition of General Parts drove sales up 52%, to $2.35 billion, from $1.55 billion in the same quarter last year. Wall Street anticipated $2.32 billion.

"We remain on pace against our base business expectations, integration milestones and with our financial performance,” said Advance CEO Darren Jackson.