Like most U.S. retailers, Macy's is battling recessionary forces. And with sales tepid and the stock price weak, the department store is embarking on a store-by-store strategy to cater to customers' local tastes. To help it get there, Macy's recently became the latest sales-challenged U.S. retailer to hire a British research shop called dunnhumby. Co-founded in 1989 by marketing geeks Edwina Dunn and Clive Humby, dunnhumby doesn't help retailers find new shoppers. Rather, by crunching data from credit-card transactions and customer loyalty programs, the outfit reveals hidden and lucrative facts about clients' current customers. It can identify who might jump at a particular sale, or who will ditch the store if a certain product goes away. "I really think it's some of the best intelligence available," says Deborah Weinswig, who follows the retail industry for Citigroup.
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