In today’s economy, cost pressure is reshaping how retailers think about growth. Site selection isn’t just a box to check—it’s a critical investment decision. With fewer opportunities and higher stakes, brands need the tools to evaluate markets with precision, select high-performing locations, and improve store performance over time.
Retail analytics software supports that effort. These platforms transform complex data into actionable insights, helping companies build and validate growth strategies with greater confidence. For retailers navigating a high-cost environment, the right software can mean the difference between a store that thrives and one that struggles from day one.
This blog explores how retail analytics software works, what makes it different from operational tools, and how Buxton’s solution helps brands reduce risk, accelerate planning, and unlock long-term growth.
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How Analytics Software Is Used in Retail
There are many types of retail analytics software. In this piece, we will focus on retail analytics software that is intended to inform growth decisions. With that context in mind, retail analytics software collects, analyzes, and interprets location-based and consumer data to inform better business decisions. It’s a core part of strategic planning for brands that rely on physical locations to drive revenue.
Most software in this category uses four types of analytics:
- Descriptive analytics explains what happened, such as where traffic peaked or which stores underperformed.
- Diagnostic analytics examines why certain trends occurred by identifying contributing factors.
- Predictive analytics models what could happen next, forecasting outcomes like projected site performance or sales potential.
- Prescriptive analytics uses those forecasts to recommend action, guiding teams toward decisions that align with their goals.
Buxton’s platform focuses on descriptive and predictive analytics, offering both a snapshot of what has happened and a forward-looking view of what’s likely to come. These insights help brands answer complex questions with confidence: Where are our customers? Which markets have room to grow? How should we prioritize investment?
Unlike tools built for day-to-day operations, Buxton’s solution is purpose-built to support long-term growth planning. That includes site selection, market optimization, and performance improvement—three areas where retailers have the most to gain, and the most to lose.
Improve the Site Selection Process
Choosing the right location is one of the most important decisions a retail brand can make. It influences sales, customer reach, and the brand’s ability to scale. But in today’s market, where costs are rising and available space is limited, making the wrong choice can delay profitability by years.
Buxton supports better site decisions by providing deep visibility into trade areas and customer behavior. Rather than relying on assumptions, real estate teams can evaluate locations based on observed consumer data—where people live, how far they travel, and which types of brands they visit.
Site score models add another layer of insight. These models quantify the opportunity at each location based on competitive proximity, demographic alignment, and potential cannibalization. With this data in hand, teams can validate sites quickly, prepare stronger real estate committee packages, and move forward with greater certainty.
For more information, check out Buxton’s Site Selection Solutions.
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Define Your Market Opportunities
Growth isn’t just about individual sites—it’s about identifying the right markets and defining where expansion makes the most sense. That’s where market optimization comes in.
Buxton’s tools help brands evaluate whitespace, understand trade area performance, and forecast growth scenarios. These capabilities allow teams to simulate expansion strategies before making a commitment, saving time and reducing guesswork.
Territory optimization is especially valuable for franchised systems. It helps define balanced, opportunity-rich areas that align with consumer demand. This reduces the risk of overlap and supports scalable, long-term franchise development.
Retailers can use these insights to answer foundational planning questions: Where do our best customers live? Which markets have untapped potential? How many stores can this region support?
To learn more, check out Buxton’s Market Optimization Analysis Solution.
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Improve Existing Store Performance
For brands with an established footprint, growth also means maximizing what’s already in place. Improving the performance of current stores starts with understanding the people who shop there—and how their behavior is changing.
Buxton helps teams analyze trade area shifts, benchmark store performance, and identify outliers. By comparing stores across regions, brands can isolate what’s working and what’s not.
With fewer expansion opportunities available, optimizing existing assets is more important than ever. Buxton gives brands the data to do just that—efficiently and at scale.
To learn more, check out Buxton’s Location Optimization Analysis Solution.
Related: Benefit from the Best Location Intelligence Software
Improve Your Retail Business with Buxton
Growth is still possible in this environment, but it requires smarter, faster, and more defensible decisions. Buxton’s retail analytics software brings together customer insights, competitive context, and market data to support real-world planning across your organization.
The platform’s intuitive mapping and reporting capabilities make it easy to visualize trade areas, track performance, and align stakeholders around a shared strategy. Whether you're pitching a site to your executive team or building a multi-market rollout plan, Buxton helps ensure your decisions are grounded in data.
With over 30 years of experience in location intelligence, Buxton is built for brands that want to grow with confidence. Learn more about our Mapping and Reporting tools or explore our full suite of Location Intelligence solutions.
