SQL Server 2008: Predictive Analytics for the Retail Industry

  To stay competitive, retailers must understand not only current consumer behavior, but must also be able to predict future consumer behavior. Accurate prediction and an understanding of customer behavior can help retailers keep customers, improve sales, and extend the relationship with their customers. SQL Server 2008 offers predictive analysis through data mining, empowering users with actionable insight across the organization. SQL Server 2008 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 offer data mining capabilities that can help retailers make informed decisions. This white paper explores examples that include churn analysis to estimate the number of customers in danger of being lost, market analysis to show how customers are distributed between high and low value segments, and market basket analysis to determine those products that customers are more likely to buy together.

My friend and colleague, Matt Adams, just released a whitepaper on Predictive Analysis for the Retail Industry. You can download it from: WHITEPAPER