Data & Analytics

Merchants’ fraud costs are a growing expense — and the pace shows no sign of slowing.   Fraud losses and management eat 8% of the average e-commerce retailer’s revenue, up from 7.6% in 2016, according to “2017 Financial Impact of Fraud Study: Exploring the Financial Impact of Fraud in a Digital World.” The report is from Vesta Corp. and Javelin Strategy & Research.  

Walgreens is relying on data analytics to ensure all of its IT systems are working as efficiently as possible.   Through a partnership with IBM, the drugstore chain is taking steps to drive more IT support across its enterprise. The first step is to integrate hardware and software from different vendors under one roof. This centralization will make it easier to stay abreast of performance.  

Amazon is on the hunt for a team to head up its newest business venture.    The online giant is launching a new start-up called “Amazon Live.” The division “builds interactive streaming experiences that create new shopping experiences for customers,” according to a posting on Amazon Jobs.   

Amazon is upping its restaurant delivery program in a move to add some of the nation's best-known chains to its menu.   Olo, a New York-based food delivery service, announced that it is integrating Amazon Restaurants’ delivery service into its ordering platform. The collaboration potentially gives the online giant access to 200 restaurant brands, including Chipotle, Denny’s, Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Jamba Juice, among others.    

Albertsons Cos. has become the first national grocery retailer to acquire a prepared-meals company.   The nation's second largest supermarket chain is acquiring online meal company Plated in a deal that is expected to close later this month. The move taps into Americans' growing demand for meal delivery services and also shores up Albertsons' defenses against Amazon, which has become a key player in grocery with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market.    

If traditional supermarket retailers want to become online destinations for grocery, they need to step up their digital shopping experiences.   In fact, shoppers rated their overall satisfaction ordering food and grocery items online highest with Amazon (4.63 on a five-point scale where five is highest), followed by Walmart (4.41). Supermarkets/food stores trailed behind with a rating of 4.32.  

Nearly all shoppers will be shopping a variety of channels this holiday season.   Ninety-six percent of shoppers plan to make a purchase from a retailer who has both a physical and an online presence, with 40% of them buying online and picking up in-store, according to a report by the International Council of Shopping Centers. And 81% of those shoppers plan to make additional purchases when collecting their item(s).  

The continued popularity and development of town centers and lifestyle centers have made it clear that retailers can no longer go it alone. They must co-exist in a symbiotic live-work-play environment, and that means they must also co-exist with the different demands and cost structures of residential and office spaces.  

The delivery wars continue to heat up as Target Corp. announced it was rolling out its next-day delivery service of household essentials, Target Restock, to eight new markets.  

Target Corp. is making it easier for customers to find their way around its stores — and to quickly find what they are looking for.   The chain is integrating beacon and Bluetooth technology into its mobile app. It will show the shopper’s location in real-time on the app's map as they move about the store, and display nearby Cartwheel deals. Shoppers will also be able to find an item on the map through their digital shopping list.