Data & Analytics

With the proliferation of pop-up stores around the country, it only makes sense that companies would begin to evaluate the kinds of staffing needed for these temporary retail environments. After all, personnel well-suited to a permanent store may not be the best fit for a pop-up.

By Daniel Burrus, burrus.com

New York City -- An overwhelming majority (72%) of retailers report having a “great deal” of cash on their balance sheets and nearly half of them plan to invest some of it on information technology going forward, according to a survey by KPMG. At the same time, the executives’ assessment of the overall business outlook reflects only modest improvements in revenue and hiring in 2012.

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Seventy percent of retailers are empowering their employees with technology-enabled touch points to help their businesses to differentiate and evolve, according to a recent RSR Research report cosponsored by HP.

The study finds that by arming their associates with a range of technologies that provide relevant and timely information -- such as digital signage, self-service kiosks, mobile devices and advanced point-of-sale systems -- retailers can increase productivity and boost multichannel selling opportunities.

The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) is taking place this week (July 10 – 14) in Los Angeles, with some 15,000 from around the globe in attendance at the Staples Center. It’s a huge event, with over 100 breakout sessions each day, 22 regional keynotes and country breakouts. To kick-off the show, CEO Steve Ballmer said that, thanks to partners, Windows 7 has sold more than 400 million licenses in less than two years, and is still the fastest-selling operating system in history.

Here are some  other interesting tidbits from the conference:

Retail site selection is not just a matter of available real estate. It’s an analytical challenge that requires sophisticated statistical modeling and a thorough understanding of the market potential of a location. Devon Wolfe, managing director of Americas Strategy & Analytics, Troy, N.Y.- based Pitney Bowes Business Insight, discusses the Top 10 most common mistakes that seem to repeatedly plague businesses and hinder their success:

1. Assuming you can build a model for all situations

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Retail Orphan Initiative on Tuesday announced the launch of an online charity locator to match up retailers looking to donate overstocked merchandise with local charities. The charity locator features an interactive map of nearby charities from a RetailROI-developed database of 501c3 organizations across the country that focus on at-risk children, women in distress or families in need.

DULUTH, Ga. — NCR Corporation announced that it will acquire Radiant Systems, a leading provider of multichannel point-of-sale and managed host service solutions to the hospitality and specialty retail  markets, through a cash tender offer of $28 per Radiant Systems share. The equity purchase price of $1.2 billion has been approved by  the boards of directors of each company. NCR and Radiant Systems currently anticipate the transaction will close during the third quarter of 2011, subject to regulatory approval.

Athletic footwear is displayed like prized museum artifacts in Sneakerology, a 600-sq.-ft.-store in Sydney, Australia. Each shoe -- there are nearly 300 in total -- is presented in its own plywood box on the wall. The boxes are neatly ordered and offset by half unit on each level. Each has a number that identifies the shoe inside it. 

Quebec -- Fashion brand Groupe Dynamite, based in Quebec, said Tuesday it has selected Oracle Retail applications to support the company’s expansion plans.

Groupe Dynamite said it will implement Oracle Retail merchandising, demand forecasting and store solutions across its 250 “Garage” and “Dynamite” brand locations in North America.

“We want to transform our business and needed a proven retail technology platform as a part of that process,” said Anna Martini, president, Groupe Dynamite.