Data & Analytics

San Luis Obispo, Calif. - Shopatron is unveiling its Shopatron Customer Care Suite, which includes a new set of APIs available within the Shopatron Developer applications, and a new customer care interface. Shopatron launched the two platforms to complement its order management technology, allowing retailers to intelligently manage the customer experience anytime, anywhere, and by any authorized user.

E-commerce platform provider FreedomPay has appointed former eBay executive Marc Pereira as VP of technology.

Pereira most recently spent nearly 12 years at eBay Enterprises, serving in several strategic executive roles and has 20 years of e-commerce and technology experience. He will be responsible for overseeing, envisioning and maintaining the company's technology infrastructure, which covers both the development process and the network infrastructure management operations.

Cleveland - Sherwin-Williams is launching an online Spanish-language platform, SWLatino.com, focusing on Hispanic homeowners, contractors and designers. Sherwin-Williams will feature tips, how-to articles and color information from leading Hispanic bloggers and Sherwin-Williams color experts.

The new site, integrated with Sherwin-Williams Facebook and Twitter accounts, will connect Latino paint and color professionals, homeowners and designers with Spanish-language content.

Atlanta -- Severe winter weather hindered shopping activity in February, according to First Data Corp.'s SpendTrend report, which tracks same-store POS data by credit and debit cards, closed loop prepaid cards, EBT, and checks from the nearly four million retail locations serviced by First Data.

Consumer spending was also restrained by the termination of emergency unemployment insurance, a reduction in food stamp benefits and low-income growth, First Data said.

By Loreal Lynch, VP marketing, Shopatron

The rise of multichannel shopping has forced retailers to begin implementing strategic omni-channel initiatives across their organizations in an effort to satisfy increasing customer demands. These initiatives are ushering in even higher customer service expectations from shoppers who have no patience for disconnected experiences that fail to match the omni-channel marketing promise.

The journey to South by Southwest (SXSW) begins long before the leading technology conference even begins. As first time attendees it quickly became apparent that winging it doesn’t work in Austin yet being open to possibilities is also essential essential.

Stepping of the plan we wondered if we had planned enough. Everyone looked like they knew where they were going and what they were doing and who they were doing it with. We were just trying to find our hotel!

Gardendale, Ala. – Independent grocer cooperative ROFDA, the Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates, has appointed Park City Group director of business development Christina Romas to its seven-member advisory council. ROFDA’s advisory council was created to provide the organization’s leadership team with input, information and feedback representing the interests of ROFDA’s associates and suppliers in support of its mission.

Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt, Tide Pods and Monster Energy Ultra were recognized as New Product Pacesetters this week as Information Resources (IRI) unveiled the best new products of 2013 at its annual summit.