Content about Information science

May 9, 2013
Survey: Consumers prefer customized in-store experiences over online

Checkout remains the number one in-store pain point for 73% of U.S. consumers, according to a survey by Synqera, a global technology startup that uses big data to bring personalized digital experiences to the physical retail store.

New York -- Checkout remains the number one in-store pain point for 73% of U.S. consumers, according to a survey by Synqera, a global technology startup that uses big data to bring personalized digital experiences to the physical retail store.    

The survey found that more than two-thirds of Americans prefer to shop in traditional, brick and mortar stores than online commerce sites, and that shoppers gravitate towards retail locations that offer customized shopping experiences but that

April 2, 2013
Destination XL Group taps CQuotient to launch personalized email programs

Destination XL Group, the largest multichannel specialty retailer of big and tall men’s apparel, will leverage CQuotient’s advanced machine learning and predictive algorithms to create email campaigns tailored to individual shoppers at its Destination XL (“DXL”) stores and e-commerce sites.

Cambridge, Mass. -- Destination XL Group, the largest multichannel specialty retailer of big and tall men’s apparel, will leverage CQuotient’s advanced machine learning and predictive algorithms to create email campaigns tailored to individual shoppers at its Destination XL (“DXL”) stores and e-commerce sites.

December 11, 2012
IBM Study: All consumers looking for a consistent experience, from start to finish

The consumer of the future will be more mobile, social and self-sufficient, willing to share details on themselves and their preferences in exchange for highly personalized relationships with their favorite stores, according to a new IBM consumer survey.

Armonk, N.Y. -- The consumer of the future will be more mobile, social and self-sufficient, willing to share details on themselves and their preferences in exchange for highly personalized relationships with their favorite stores, according to a new IBM consumer survey. The study also found that consumers’ willingness to advocate for a particular retailer is becoming multi-faceted, with consumers looking for a flawless experience, whether it’s when they’re researching, purchasing, or receiving delivery.

October 2, 2012
SAP enhances shopper personalization

SAP has launched a new service to help retailers influence consumer behavior at the moment of decision.

Dallas -- SAP has launched a new service to help retailers influence consumer behavior at the moment of decision.
 
SAP's Precision Retailing solution is said to deliver personalized offers and suggestions in real time to consumers across multiple channels, including mobile devices, in-store kiosks and websites. The company also announced the SAP Retail Store Ops Manager mobile app to further enhance in-store productivity.

September 25, 2012
Consumer Confidence Index increases in September

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined in August, improved in September to 70.3 -- up from 61.3 in August.

New York -- The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined in August, improved in September to 70.3 -- up from 61.3 in August.

The Expectations Index increased to 83.7 from 71.1. The Present Situation Index rose to 50.2 from 46.5 last month.
 

September 20, 2012
OfficeMax adds new search engine

OfficeMax Inc. announced a new search engine on OfficeMax.com designed to speed up shopping and provide more accurate search and recommendation results.

Naperville, Ill. -- OfficeMax Inc. announced Thursday a new search engine on Officemax.com designed to speed up shopping and provide more accurate search and recommendation results.

In its first month with the new search engine, OfficeMax said that OfficeMax.com has already experienced an increase in conversion rate and customer satisfaction around site navigation, and more than a 60% increase in average revenue per visit.

August 30, 2012
Walmart.com using new search engine with semantic search technology; seeing 10% to 15% increase in completed purchases

Walmart announced a new search engine for Walmart.com. The new engine, named Polaris, was developed by a small team within @Wamart Labs, the research and technology hub for innovation at Walmart.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced a new search engine for Walmart.com. The new engine, named Polaris, was developed by a small team within @Wamart Labs,  the research and technology hub for innovation at Walmart. It uses semantic search technology to anticipate the intent of a shopper's search to deliver highly relevant results for them.  

July 18, 2012
Books-A-Million announces withdrawal of acquisition proposal

Books-A-Million said its largest shareholder group, the Anderson family, has withdrawn its non-binding offer to take the company private.

Birmingham, Ala. -- Books-A-Million said its largest shareholder group, the Anderson family, has withdrawn its non-binding offer to take the company private.

The Anderson family, which owns a 53% stake in the chain, had offered $3.05 per share in cash to take the company private in April.

“After discussing the proposal with the special committee of the company’s board of directors and its advisers, the Anderson family has decided not to pursue the proposed acquisition at this time,” the company said in a statement.

June 22, 2012
High income or low, consumers still concerned about price

A new report from Acosta Sales and Marketing reveals that consumers at all income levels consider price before making a purchase, showing that economic concerns affect everyone.

Jacksonville, Fla. — A new report from Acosta Sales and Marketing reveals that consumers at all income levels consider price before making a purchase, showing that economic concerns affect everyone.

June 21, 2012
Macys.com uses private cloud to personalize digital shopping strategies

Macys.com has made a name for itself by analyzing consumer data to gain insight into its loyal shopper base. The retailer, which features more than 60,000 products online and leverages multiple digital channels to share product information cross-channel, has armed itself with a set of internal cloud-based, high-performance analytics tools designed to improve customer segmentation, market-basket analysis and real-time personalization cross-channel, based on a broader scope of product attributes.

May 31, 2012
Container Store selects Zmags to create digital catalogs

Mobile and social marketing platform-provider Zmags said Thursday that The Container Store has selected Zmags Professional to create interactive digital catalogs designed deepen customer engagement across all channels.

Boston -- Mobile and social marketing platform-provider Zmags said Thursday that The Container Store has selected Zmags Professional to create interactive digital catalogs designed deepen customer engagement across all channels.
                

May 29, 2012
IBM completes acquisition of Vivisimo

IBM announced it has completed the acquisition of Vivisimo, a leading provider of federated discovery and navigation software that helps organizations access and analyze big data.

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM announced it has completed the acquisition of Vivisimo, a leading provider of federated discovery and navigation software that helps organizations access and analyze big data. Financial terms will not be disclosed.

March 12, 2012
Employment Trends Index up 1.38% in February

The Conference Board reported that its Employment Trends Index increased 1.38% in February to 107.46, from the revised figure of 105.99 in January.

New York City -- The Conference Board reported Monday that its Employment Trends Index increased 1.38% in February to 107.46, from the revised figure of 105.99 in January.

The February figure is also up 6.1% from the same month a year ago.

March 6, 2012
Consumer Reports Index: Consumer sentiment drops

After three consecutive months of improvement, the Consumer Reports Index for March slipped to 46.1, from 49.6 last month.

Yonkers, N.Y. -- After three consecutive months of improvement, the Consumer Reports Index for March slipped to 46.1, from 49.6 last month.

March's Consumer Reports Index measures overall consumer financial health and showed that the confidence of the American consumer is waning.

Further challenging consumer confidence, The Trouble Tracker Index increased slightly this month to 52.2 from 49.1 in February, and is now at its highest level since August 2011.

January 5, 2012
Best Buy completes acquisition of mindShift Technologies

Best Buy said today that it has completed the acquisition of mindShift Technologies, which provides managed IT, cloud, data center and professional services to more than 5,400 clients and 25,000 managed desktops in markets throughout the nation.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy said today that it has completed the acquisition of mindShift Technologies, which provides managed IT, cloud, data center and professional services to more than 5,400 clients and 25,000 managed desktops in markets throughout the nation.

The acquired firm will operate under its current name, management team and capabilities, which include approximately 500 employees at offices in Boston; Long Island, N.Y.; Minneapolis; Morrisville, N.C.; New York City; Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

 

December 6, 2011
Conference Board’s Employment Trends Index up in November

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index increased in November to 103.7, up from the revised figure of 102.42 in October.

New York City -- The Conference Board Employment Trends Index increased in November to 103.7, up from the revised figure of 102.42 in October. The November figure is up 6.4% from the same month a year ago.

March 7, 2011
Report: Employment Trends Index increases 8% year-over-year

The Conference Board’s Employment Trends Index, released Monday, increased in February for the fifth consecutive month.

New York City -- The Conference Board’s Employment Trends Index, released Monday, increased in February for the fifth consecutive month.

According to the Conference Board, the index now stands at 101.7, up from January’s revised figure of 100.1. The index is up over 8% from a year ago.

October 14, 2010
Consumer Sentiment Index declined in October

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment, released Friday, showed that confidence...

October 15, 2009
Consumer sentiment drops in October

The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys index of Consumer Sentiment reversed direction and experienced a notable...

January 26, 2009
Consumer Confidence Continues to Slip

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had decreased in December, inched lower in January...

December 14, 2008
Expediting Store Development

Achallenging environment is changing the way prototypes (from the architecture and engineering perspective) are developed...