Thanks to Illumino, the citizens of Datapolis are still able to get their medicine and Frackture is being kept at bay; however we both have our hands full and a new crisis is on the horizon. Our data scientists and engineers have informed me that a new evil force is
I had a chance to attend a moderated panel discussion at the last SAS Global Forum Executive Conference with executives from Best Buy, Seminole Gaming and Office Depot, and each speaker offered their own unique story about how applied customer analytics makes a difference in marketing. I captured some key points in previous
Alan Adams, Senior Director of Customer Analytics at Office Depot, took part in a great panel discussion on integrated marketing management at the 2012 SAS Global Forum Executive Conference along with his colleagues from Seminole Gaming and Best Buy. The session included a short presentation by each panelist, followed by
Retail is one of the most time-sensitive industries. Find out how mega-chain Family Dollar Stores Inc., which operates more than 7,400 stores in 45 states, relies on high-performance analytics to shrink data processing windows from days to less than an hour and speed decision making. Scott Zucker, Vice President of
Macy's Inc. is one of the nation’s largest and most well-known retailers, with a loyal base of customers who shop at its stores and online. The company’s e-commerce division, Macys.com, is relying on big data and high-performance analytics software from SAS to better understand its customers and help increase overall
How can big data coupled with high-performance analytics (HPA) help retail companies tailor their offerings in a way that is beneficial to both the company’s bottom line – and the consumer? Eric Williams, recently retired Chief Information Officer at Catalina Marketing, explains in this interview. Alison Bolen: How do you define
In the last week, I have interviewed four retail executives about their predictions for big data and high-performance analytics in the retail industry. I hope to publish their thoughts here in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, here are six concrete benefits that big data can bring to retailers, if
At the NRF BIG Show, I had the opportunity to sit down with Chuck Albrecht, President and COO, Northern Tool and Equipment Company to ask him the best advice he’s ever been given (more on that later), his thoughts on the craziest innovations he saw at the show, and Northern
A standing room only crowd gathered at the NRF BIG Show on Monday afternoon in New York to hear Winn-Dixie VP Chris Vukich share how this $7 billion regional grocer has achieved a successful pricing strategy that allows them to: See the impact of each price change. Create what-if scenarios. Model
At the NRF BIG Show in NYC this week, one of the hottest topics is what retailers can do with high-performance analytics. One major retailer has been able to determine optimal prices for as many as 270 million items each week, from 30 to two hours, run advanced markdown optimization
What brings more than 20,000 retailers to NYC in mid-January? I can promise you, it’s not the balmy 15 degree temperatures -- it’s the 101st NRF BIG SHOW, where SAS is a platinum sponsor. This is my first year attending this event – and it’s a bit overwhelming, so here’s a
During January 15 - 18, 2012 in New York City, the National Retail Federation will conduct its 101st annual "Retail's BIG Show" and once again SAS will be there in a big way. The retail industry is a big deal at SAS and SAS benefits retailers in a big way, with more than 600
After enduring 18 months in a punishing economy, grocers have emerged in better shape than most retail segments according to the Fifth Annual Supermarket Benchmark Study from RIS News and IDC Retail Insights. Still, there are no expectations of returning to business as usual, and technology is a key linchpin
Retail is an interesting industry. It has its own challenges and opportunities, but what happens in retail is worth watching for marketers in any industry because retailing is the essence of a market. The storefront / cash register / online shopping cart is literally the intersection of the “supply” curve
Every night, I drive right by our favorite grocery store on my way home from work, so I usually call home to see if we need anything. Sometimes the list gets long and I have to pull over to write it all down. That’s how I manage our grocery list.
Deb Orton recently had a chance to speak with Bruce Bedford, VP of Marketing Analytics and Consumer Insights at Oberweis Dairy about social media and its role in how they do business. Oberweis Dairy is based in the Midwest and reaches its customers through 48 store locations, its home-delivery business
More than 30 Premier Business Leadership Series attendees gathered for a roundtable discussion of social media in retail. "Is Your Company Antisocial? How to Effectively Engage Consumers Through Social Media and Mobility," was hosted by Michelle Thomas, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Zappos. She was joined by Lori Schafer and
How do you maintain a local feel in a central organization of 810 department stores in 45 states? Speaking at The Premier Business Leadership Series in Las Vegas, Steve Nevill, Executive Vice President of Inventory Management and Support for Macy’s.shared how the retailer (which had $23.5 billion in sales in
As promised in my last post, SAS’ Greg Soussloff, Dan Crane, Lori Schafer, and James Vickers are back from the National Retail Federation’s tech conference, NRF Tech. Here’s what they learned and shared at the SAS Roundtable on Social Media and Merchandise Planning. The well-attended roundtable included IT executives from
I hope you saw my previous post on lessons learned in retail, which shared insights from industry leaders Terry Donofrio, President of Retail Systems & Services; Frank Andryauskas, former CIO and Executive VP of Supply Chain for KB Toys; and Val Trivisonno, VP of Commercial for The Body Shop Canada.
Last week at the SAS Retail Executive Seminar held in Cary, NC, I was able to catch up with industry leaders and ask them a few questions about what’s going on in retail -- and their predictions for what’s coming next. Keynote speaker Terry Donofrio, President of Retail Systems &
Welcome back to our green enterprise checklist for retailers. In my previous posts, I described how to create a vision for sustainability and how to evaluate your operations, merchandise, supplies, advertising and marketing. The final area on our checklist is to evaluate your people. Your People Employees must be trained
Welcome back to our green enterprise checklist for retailers. In my previous posts, I described how to create a vision for sustainability, how to evaluate your operations, your merchandise and your supplies. The next area on our checklist is to evaluate your advertising and marketing. Your Advertising and Marketing Reduce
Welcome back to our green enterprise checklist for retailers. In my previous posts, I described how to create a vision for sustainability and how to evaluate your operations. The next area on our checklist is evaluating your merchandise. Your Merchandise Successful businesses know they need the right product mix for
Welcome back to our series of posts that provide a green enterprise checklist for retailers. In my previous post, I described how to create a vision for sustainability and introduced five areas of focus to help you begin implementing that vision. The first area on our checklist is to evaluate
With increased customer awareness and consumer demand about the virtues of going green, getting your company to become more environmentally friendly is a winning strategy. But sustainable business practices are relatively new to many companies. The most common question I get is: “Where do I start?” There is no direct
I recently attended the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) “Big Think”. The Big Think is an annual invitation-only event hosted by Tracy Mullen, CEO of NRF, and her staff. NRF is the “voice” of retail and represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail companies, more than 25 million
In the long-running television sitcom “Seinfeld,” Jerry’s neighbor (and nemesis) Newman often commented on his job as a U.S. postal worker. Making fun of the mail; and post office; was a recurring theme. In the show’s final season, one episode was even titled “The Junk Mail I was reminded of
