Homeruns delivers the the groceries; Ardent delivers the data
Online grocery shopping firm HomeRuns.com is using data management software from Ardent Software, as a component of its customer service program. Ardent's DataStage data integration infrastructure allows HomeRuns.com to measure purchasing trends, and respond by offering programs that better meet customer needs.
"DataStage enables us to analyze buying habits, which in turn allows us to better serve our customers," said Ray Giandrea, VP of information technology for HomeRuns.com. "For instance, if we see an increased demand for a certain type of item, we can increase the variety of brands or introduce similar foods we think will interest customers."
"The relationship between Ardent and HomeRuns.com is a good example of the convergence of data warehouse and business intelligence tools with Web technologies," said Pete Fiore, VP of Ardent Software. "As e-commerce matures, companies will deploy a new class of strategic applications such as electronic marketing that turns raw customer data into actionable information,".
More recently, Homeruns.com received an additional $100 million in investment when the traditional grocery chain Hannaford Brothers sold its majority share for $100 million. The Cypress Group, a New York-based private equity firm holds an unspecified majority interest with Hannaford retaining a minority share.