Data & Analytics

New York -- Find out how to harness the power of LEAN to engage employees, eliminate inertia and turbocharge the pace of work processes at a Webinar presented by Chain Store Age and Ryder Supply Chain Solutions on Wed., Oct. 3, 201 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT).

New York -- Smartphone and Internet users actively seek out and prefer to engage with mobile-friendly sites, but such sites must meet certain expectations in order to convert users from visitors to consumers, according to a Google study conducted by independent market research firms Sterling Research and SmithGeiger.

PURCHASE, N.Y. and QUINCY, Mass. — Coinstar, an operator of change collecting kiosks, announced that customers utilizing its service at all Stop & Shop stores, now have the option of placing the full value of their coins, without fees, onto a Stop & Shop gift card. In addition, customers also have the option to select a gift card from a variety of national retailers and e-retailers. The gift cards are immediately activated and can be used the same day.

Louisville, Colo. -- Envysion, Inc., the leading Managed Video as a Service (MVaaS) provider, announced that Chick-fil-A has selected Envysion as a video provider. Chick-fil-A, a leading quick-service chicken restaurant with more than 1,600 locations in the United States, will use Envysion to improve operations, training and customer service.

Cincinnati -- Macy’s Inc. said it plans to hire approximately 80,000 seasonal associates for its Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers nationwide for the 2012 holiday season. This is an increase of about 2.5% from last year.

Chicago -- An online grocery delivery service is launching "virtual grocery stores" at commuter rail stations across the country.

Peapod.com, owned by the U.S. subsidiary of Dutch supermarket operator Royal Ahold, announced it would launch more than 100 of the virtual grocery stores at commuter rail stations in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, New Jersey and Connecticut. Commuters in the markets Peapod serves spend an hour in transit to and from work each day, according to Census data.

Conshohocken, Pa. -- Ikea announced it is submitting plans to the city of Merriam, Kansas, for a Kansas City-area store that would increase the Swedish retailer’s presence in the Midwestern United States.  

Philadelphia -- Charter Realty & Development said that it has arranged for a 9,887-sq.-ft. lease for Planet Fitness in the Mayfair Shopping Center in Philadelphia.

The shopping center is anchored by, Shop N Bag, Dollar Tree and Wells Fargo.