Data & Analytics

Eager to make more effective business decisions, many retailers are reevaluating their business intelligence strategies. With a renewed focus on breaking down enterprise-wide silos, retailers are making a move to the next generation of BI, which includes giving line and store managers access to predictive analytics tools and multifunctional views of data.

By Michael Dart, Todd Hooper and Jay Agarwal

Although it isn’t as sexy as luxury or as dramatic as discount, the space somewhere in between is heating up.

In fact, recent deal activity suggests that retailers that cater to both low- and high-income segments — those serving “the middle” — have tremendous potential.

Regional retailers are typically defined by geography, but Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk is a bit different than most. Distinguished by its signature Southern hospitality, the nation’s largest privately held department store chain has a dominant presence throughout the South and a footprint as far west as Oklahoma and north through Maryland. But its reach extends even farther, as Canadians and Californians alike shop its e-commerce site.

Uniqlo has made its first move in an ambitious plan to become a major presence in shopping malls throughout the nation. The company, Japan’s largest retailer and a division of Fast Retailing Co., has jump-started its U.S. expansion with the opening of a 43,000-sq.-ft. store in Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, N.J.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart is expanding with the opening of seven stores this fall. The new stores are located in Surprise, Ariz.; Katy, Texas; Tucson, Ariz.; and Charlottesville, Va. The McAllen, Texas; Biloxi, Miss.; and San Dimas, Calif., stores are a relocation of another area store to improve sites.

The four new and three relocated stores bring Stein Mart's total store count to 263 at the end of this year.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. announced Marnette Perry has been named SVP, strategic initiatives and operations, and Michael Ellis has been named SVP, retail divisions. The appointments support Kroger's long-term growth plans announced last week.

Perry recently led the team responsible for Kroger's "faster checkout" rollout, which the chain said has reduced customer wait times at checkout from an average of four minutes to 30 seconds.

Beijing -- Wal-Mart Stores announced a series of initiatives to make the company's supply chain in the United States, China and around the world more sustainable.

Washington -- Free shipping offers will abound this holiday season, according to Shop.org’s eHoliday survey conducted by BIGinsight. Nine in 10 (89.7%) retailers plan to offer some form of free shipping for online shoppers. When asked which promotions they will emphasize most heavily during the holiday season, 37.5% plan to offer free standard shipping with conditions (e.g. minimum purchase), and three in 10 (30.0%) will offer free standard shipping without conditions.

New York -- Wal-Mart Stores said on Wednesday that various staff groups involved in compliance and legal issues will soon all report to its general counsel, Reuters reported. The move comes as the retailer works on coordinating efforts after an alleged foreign bribery scandal.

In a memo sent by CEO Mike Duke, the retailer said that starting on Dec. 1, its compliance, ethics, investigations and legal units will become one organization under executive VP, general counsel and corporate secretary Jeff Gearhart.

New York -- Shoppers are in a good mood heading into the holiday season, with the number of consumers planning to spend less on the holidays (37%) at the lowest level since 2006, according to Deloitte's 27th annual survey of holiday spending intentions and trends. One-half (50%) of consumers surveyed expect the economy will improve next year, up from just one-third (33%) heading into the holiday season last year.