• by Jess Nelson , February 6, 2017

The largest health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe has partnered with Rubikloud to leverage the company’s data enterprise platform, pledging to invest $70 million in big data with Rubikloud as the primary recipient.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, A.S. Watson Group (ASW) manages over 13,300 stores in 25 Asian and European markets -- a seeming haven of retail data spread across 14 brands. The company has signed a multi-year agreement with Rubikloud to integrate its siloed, legacy databases into a single cloud-based repository of data.

ASW will work with Rubikloud to improve operational efficiency and customer experience by building out its Big Data capabilities. The company will deploy Rubicore, Rubikloud’s data enterprise platform, as well as two of its machine-learning applications -- Promotions Manager and Lifecycle Manager -- across its entire ecosystem of retail stores.  

By streamlining siloed corporate databases into a single cloud-based data architecture, ASW aims to provide more personalized customer experiences and marketing promotions.

“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,” states Malina Ngai, JP, chief operating officer of A.S. Watson Group. “With the right technology, we will be able to focus our resources, from the back-end support to shop floor, on building better customer experience”

The partnership announced Monday is an expansion of a business relationship that began in 2015 when ASW utilized Rubikloud’s machine-learning application, Lifecycle Manager, at one of its European operations. Sales from CRM campaigns jumped more than 8% in ten months, a result that drove ASW to also partner with Rubikloud to work with one of its UK-based brands.