I recently read an interesting article in The Economist, where they describe "The Big Mac index." This is an index they invented as a lighthearted guide to compare currencies in different countries. In their article they create a multi-panel display (similar to a dashboard) where they compare the index for several countries using
Amazon, Apple, eBay, Facebook and Google – known as the Tech Titans to some – continue to set the agenda with their continuous stream of mobile business initiatives. In fact, consumers embrace and, in some cases, expect many of the same mobility resources they’ve experienced through the Titans from the
According to a recent article from Forbes, the three hottest trends in retail for 2013 are: Mobile -- 93 percent of mobile developers anticipate that it is “likely to very likely” that most retail companies will have enabled mobile commerce in 2013, and 2/3 of developers believe that consumers will
'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the world ... dot-matrix printers were humming as Santa's naughty/nice list was unfurled... Can you imagine what it must have been like years ago when Santa had to maintain his naughty/nice list by hand, with a feather quill pen?!? Or even these
We all know the holiday shopping season is paramount to a retailer’s annual results. As we enter the 2012 holiday shopping season, customers’ expectations of retailers have never been higher. One thing that can plague retailers, especially during the hectic holiday season, is out-of-stocks. Whether you are a fashion retailer
Recent SAS-sponsored research by the Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed large enterprises on a number of questions about "big data" and its value. The most prominent finding was that companies with a strategic data plan were much more likely to be financially successful than those who treat data as a tactical
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
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
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
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
