Data & Analytics

Fort Worth, Texas -- Aaron’s has formed a partnership with Buxton, a customer analytics firm, to assist with the retailer’s market expansion and analytics strategy.

By Emily Millar, [email protected]

Web-related shopping is growing. Forrester Research predicts U.S. online retail sales will reach nearly $250 billion by 2014 with many more billions to be made from shoppers making in-store purchase decisions that are “web-influenced” first.

Purchase, N.Y. -- Most retail segments showed solid year-over-year retail growth in March, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and services sales.

Electronics sales and department stores showed modest gains while luxury and e-commerce recorded strong growth. Some segments of the restaurant sector also showed strength in March.

Irvine, Calif. -- Private-equity firm Apax Partners will acquire California-based ERP software range developer, Epicor Software and Activant Solutions, a provider of business management software solutions. Apax will pay a total of $2 billion for the acquisitions and combine the two companies.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- DSW Inc. has announced the appointment of Roger Rawlins to SVP and GM DSW.com, and Jennie Wilson as SVP finance and controller.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. -- Kohl’s Department Stores announced the completion of its private-label credit card portfolio transfer to Capital One Financial Corporation, effective as of April 1, 2011. Capital One has acquired the more than 20 million existing Kohl’s Charge accounts and through the seven-year agreement will offer private-label credit cards to new and existing Kohl’s customers.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday reported March sales of $6.3 billion, an increase of 7.6%. Duane Reade stores, acquired in April 2010, contributed 280 basis points to the total sales increase for the month.

The art and science of researching how shoppers decide is at a crossroad.  The  shopper insights discipline originally developed when retailers began saying to CPG manufacturers that they have a thorough understanding of behavioral data and its findings, but lack a genuine grasp of how their customers and non-customers think and the “why” that drives that behavior.

CHICAGO ─ Faced with rising food costs, U.S. consumers are turning to the cost savings tactics they’ve mastered over the past few years, according to The NPD Group.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Mall owner Simon Property Group announced Tuesday that it has completed its first installation of an electric vehicle charging station at one of its shopping centers.

The initial installation has been completed at Simon's Florida Mall in Orlando and will be complete at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, Calif., later in April.