Data & Analytics

Essen, Germany – German supermarket chain Aldi Nord has selected the SAP for Retail solution portfolio to support its dynamic growth and modernize its retailing. The standard enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution will replace the company’s previous in-house system and will be used to manage retail processes at all company locations, from orders and warehouse management to store deliveries.

Kmart and Sears are among a group of companies identified as “the least engaging brands of 2014,” in a recently released index of customer loyalty.

"A brand can't do well in today's marketplace if it can't engage consumers, no matter how many ads are run, and no matter how much social networking one does," said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, a New York-based brand loyalty and emotional engagement research consultancy.

Washington, D.C. -- Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 12.4% in March 2014 as retailers begin to stock up for the spring and the summer season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.

The buzz and hype surrounding 3D printing can make it hard to separate fact from fiction, but one thing is for sure: 3D printing has the potential to transform shopper expectations and retail supply chains.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal Inc. has appointed Deena Varshavskaya, Nancy Lublin and Adam Rothstein as new independent members of the company’s board of directors. The appointments expand the size of the board from seven to nine members.

By Gian Genovesi, Briteskies

When it comes to interactive marketing, too many retailers myopically focus on site visits, hits, or traffic. SEO and SEM are the most popular areas of focus, and I equate this to sports teams’ exclusive focus on scoring as many points as possible. Increasing the points your team scores, similarly to the traffic your site obtains, is a factor of success, but in no way the end-all-be-all in e-commerce success. After all, of the top 10 scoring offenses in NFL history, only one has won the Super Bowl.

Chiquita Brands International plans to combine with and Fyffes, an international importer and distributor of tropical produce, in a stock-for-stock transaction that will create a global banana and other fresh produce company with approximately $4.6 billion in annual revenues.

Once the transaction is completed, before the end of 2014, Chiquita shareholders will own approximately 50.7% of ChiquitaFyffes, while Fyffes shareholders will own the remaining 49.3%, on a fully diluted basis.

Chicago - Mobile and online sales will continue to drive growth for retailers in 2014. However, according to a recent BDO USA survey, a majority (64%) of retail CFOs expect that online sales will grow in 2014, representing a modest decline from the number of CFOs expressing similar sentiments in 2013 (74%).