dunnhumby Buys Out-of-Stock Analytics Specialist

In the US, retail data specialist dunnhumby has acquired machine learning and advanced analytics specialist Standard Analytics LLC (SA), as it looks to expand its own technology portfolio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

SA's real-time out-of-stock alert system accounts for pricing, seasonality and other factors that impact sales, alerting key personnel when items are out of stock and providing retailers with information about consumer buying behavior to help determine the root causes of out-of-stock situations.

Following the acquisition, the SA brand name has been dispensed with, while the firm's technology and key personnel - including founder Hank Vaccaro - are to join dunnhumby.

Yael Cosset, Global CIO of dunnhumby, comments: 'The typical analytics approach to sales forecasting and inventory management is to review deliveries and sales of specific products, and make adjustments when certain thresholds are passed. With SA technology, retailers have the enhanced ability to look beyond the individual product level to predict performance based on factors throughout the store in entire categories, and product adjacencies.'

Web sites: www.dunnhumby.com and www.standard-analytics.com .