A.S. Watson Group, the company behind retailers including Superdrug, Watsons and The Perfume Shop, has announced plans to invest US$70m on ‘big data’ over the next three years.
The investment will be made with Toronto-based Rubikloud, a company that specialises in software platforms for retailers.
We are investing in big data amid global economic uncertainties because we believe that technology is a critical enabler for successful retailing in today's world.
Rubikloud’s Rubicore data platform aims to help A.S. Watson Group’s retailers make informed decisions to grow loyalty revenue and forecast product promotions accurately.
A.S. Watson hopes to enhance its customer’s experiences as well as its own business efficiencies using Rubicore’s machine learning applications Promotion Manager and Lifecycle Manager.
The conglomerate’s network of 13,300 retail stores across 25 Asian and European markets are set to benefit from the new software.
Malina Ngai, Chief Operating Officer of A.S. Watson Group, said: “We are investing in big data amid global economic uncertainties because we believe that technology is a critical enabler for successful retailing in today's world.
“With the right technology, we will be able to focus our resources, from the backend support to shop floor, on building better customer experience.” It is not the first time A.S. Watson has worked with Rubikloud. In 2015, the group partnered with the software provider, using its Lifecycle Manager product at one of its European operations.
A.S. Watson revealed that Lifecycle Manager helped it to grow sales from direct-to-consumer CRM campaigns by more than 8%.
