Database Marketing

In addition to Gap's recent inventory optimization and store-based fulfillment initiatives, the retailer is also focusing on big data and personalization. According to Gap, the issue isn't having the data or having big data, it's turning the data into relevant information that then feeds a personalized shopping experience. The technology is there and the retailer is now starting to customize and test personalization of its website landing experience. For Gap, personalization will, has and is forming the bridge between the online world and the brick-and-mortar experience.

Online retailers are seeing record holiday sales this year. ComScore reports that 57 million Americans shopped online on Black Friday, a 26 percent increase over 2011. As retailers settle in for their biggest selling season of the year, the use of big data has become a critical force in growing sales. Big data analytics is helping retailers stay in front of a new breed of consumer, the omnichannel shopper, and the avalanche of data they're generating.

We're pretty used to fashion brands retouching photos to contort models’ bodies. But while slimming down legs, removing ribs and even doling out lopsided boob jobs are certainly jarring, we couldn't help but feel completely stunned upon seeing J.Crew's recent Photoshop fail — it completely obliterated a model's thighs. Is nothing sacred?

RevTrax, an omnichannel promotions platform that empowers brands and retailers to securely drive and measure in-store sales through any digital marketing channel, announced the results of a four-month study of digital coupon activations across its roster of hundreds of brand and retail customers. By assigning real-world metrics to digital coupons that are used exclusively to drive in-store sales, the study reveals important insights that brands and retailers can use to improve online consumer engagement activities.

This week's most popular article from Retail Online Integration, 5 Ways to Leverage Product Information to Drive Sales, offers retailers tips on how they can use the abundance of data they have on their products, suppliers and customers to optimize sales, no matter the channel. What's your company doing in this area? Is operational data siloed or shared throughout your organization? Let us know your thoughts on this article as well as feedback on your own experiences leveraging data by going to our Twitter page. Use the hashtag #ROIMostClicked when commenting. We're looking forward to the conversation!

Given current economic conditions, attracting new customers remains a top challenge for small to midsize retailers, with more than 50 percent citing it as their No. 1 concern, according to a recent Dydacomp survey.

Google created an infographic exploring Father’s Day digital trends. Take a look at what Google found below, including how instrumental and varied online research is for gift-giving.

Late last year, Lowe's Chief Information Officer Mike Brown led an effort to help customers manage home-related data, including receipts, appliance manuals and service warranties. According to a report in Bloomberg, "Customers will be able to scan a special card to monitor transactions, create room-by-room profiles of their homes and plan projects with store employees."

John Leeman, chief marketing officer, spoke to eMarketer about the challenges presented by the online grocery business and how FreshDirect is evolving to meet them.

Critically, it's time to admit that attributing the full value of the marketing investment to the last or "converting" click is fundamentally flawed. By ignoring all previous activities which have contributed to the eventual sale, this approach is inaccurate, untrustworthy and often results in investment in key activities being reduced or cut.