#United States #Memphis #Dun & Bradstreet #FedEx Dataworks #Retail Momentum

Introduction

In a significant move that could reshape the landscape of retail analytics, Dun & Bradstreet and FedEx Dataworks have announced their partnership aimed at launching the Retail Momentum Index. This innovative tool is designed to bridge critical gaps in data concerning retail activity in the United States, providing businesses with actionable insights that were previously hard to come by.

The Need for Predictive Insights

The retail environment has always been prone to fluctuations, influenced by numerous factors ranging from economic shifts to consumer behavior. As businesses seek to navigate this constantly changing landscape, the necessity for predictive analytics becomes increasingly evident. By merging Dun & Bradstreet's comprehensive business data with FedEx Dataworks' shipping intelligence, the two companies aim to create a tool that equips businesses with a real-time view of market trends.

What is the Retail Momentum Index?

The Retail Momentum Index represents a significant leap forward in retail analytics. It integrates various data streams, including FedEx's shipping data and Dun & Bradstreet's detailed insights into maritime shipping volumes and container delays. This combination allows for a comprehensive understanding of retail supply and demand dynamics.

With this index, businesses can monitor retail momentum proactively, enabling them to detect changes in the market before these trends are reflected in conventional reports like monthly retail sales.

Key Features and Insights

The Retail Momentum Index is designed to act as a leading indicator of retail trade activity. Some of its notable features and early insights include:
1. Real-time Data Integration: By offering insights based on near real-time data, the index allows decision-makers to stay ahead of the curve. This capability can assist in forecasting sales trends more accurately than traditional methods.
2. Improved Credit Health: Recent data indicates that the credit health of U.S. retail businesses has shown marked improvement, particularly as the Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates throughout 2025.
3. Consumer Behavior Insights: Insights from the index suggest that while year-over-year momentum was negative in Q4 2025, the decline has become less severe, hinting at a potential stabilization in consumer spending habits.
4. Evolving Logistics Context: The fusion of shipping data with business context allows for deeper insights into how economic activities are interrelated. This can help businesses understand not just what is happening, but why it is happening.

Future Outlook

Looking ahead, businesses can expect to see the Retail Momentum Index contribute significantly to strategic decision-making processes. The collaboration aims not only to launch this initial tool but also to explore the development of additional insights spanning global economic signals and multi-modal supply chain intelligence.

Conclusion

The partnership between Dun & Bradstreet and FedEx Dataworks marks an important step in the evolution of data analytics within the retail sector. As the Retail Momentum Index prepares for its launch, it offers a promising blueprint for the future of retail insights, empowering businesses to make informed decisions in an increasingly complex marketplace. Companies today can leverage this advanced analytics tool not just to survive, but to thrive in an ever-changing economic landscape.