ShopperTech Update December 20, 2013 - Volume 4, Issue 18

In This Issue

DATA WAREHOUSING: What Exactly Is Big Data?

EXPERT ANALYSIS: Is Digital Commerce a Largely Untapped Opportunity for CPG?

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS: CPG Companies Have Major Opportunity to Transform IT Strategy

STI MARKET WATCH

STI Social Media Groups

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CPGmatters Ezine

Data Warehousing

What Exactly Is

Big Data?

It can be argued that Big Data has been around for many years. When I speak about "Big Data," I talk about the "Evolution of Big Data." That's because those of us in the database industry have not only watched, but have actively participated in the evolution of Big Data.

The history of data goes back to old mainframes and even further. As new applications were developed, new databases became available to support those new business requirements. Applications were built and data was used and stored in mainframes. Next, ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications came out that spawned "relational" databases.

Then, new data sources from outside the company included business partners, retailers, brokers, syndicated data providers, weather trends and other valuable insights. Databases that had the power to integrate all these data sources to increase knowledge led to the evolution of MPP (massively parallel processing) databases. There are other databases, but I want to keep this explanation basic...

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Expert Analysis

Is Digital Commerce a Largely Untapped Opportunity for CPG?

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are underestimating the e-commerce channel's growth potential and consequently may be missing out on a substantial market opportunity, according to the first of a two-part Deloitte study, Digital Commerce in the Supermarket Aisle. Only 43% of surveyed CPG executives think their company has a clear, well-understood strategy. While both CPG executives and consumers anticipate online sales of food, household and personal care products will grow in the next year and over the next three years, consumers' intent to purchase these products online far outpaced executives' expectations for both time periods.

KEY QUESTIONS:

Do you agree with the study's results? In other words, most CPG companies don't have a clear strategy for digital commerce? Why not? Is this likely to change soon? What would prompt change? What other factors are in play?

Here's what the experts have to say...

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Digital Solutions

CPG Companies Have Major Opportunity to
Transform IT Strategy

A large proportion of consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are following a less than optimal approach in their information technology strategies, says a new report by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report, GMA Information Technology Benchmarking 2013: The New Mission for IT in CPG, was recently released.

The report is based on extensive surveys of 27 leading CPG companies. It looks at how much money companies are spending on IT and how aggressively they are adopting new technologies, such as social media, Software as a Service, and advanced analytics...

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Market Watch

Tyson Foods Gains Insights about C-Store Shoppers

New Consumer Segmentation Provides Insight into Seniors

New Shopper Solutions for Retailers Released

Email Volume Increases Nearly 13% in Q3 2013

Amazon to Offer CPG Challenge to Costco, Sam's Club

Trouble for Major Retail Websites

JUST PUBLISHED

Shopper Technology Institute's Second Book,

New Directions in Shopper Technology

New Directions in Shopper Technology, the second book from the Shopper Technology Institute. Building upon the foundations of last year's Essentials of Shopper Technology, the book is divided into five sections: Shoppers, Loyalty, Engagement, Analytics and Digital and contains 19 essays on how mobile marketing, social media, sophisticated analytics, Big Data and the like are continuing to evolve.

Those changes-and others-are presented in this book. As well as reading about their area of expertise, progressive executives will gain a fuller understanding of the entire industry.

Click here to read sample chapters and view ordering information for the paperback and Kindle editions.

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