
Live chat tools help boost sales for e-vendors, study finds
According to new research published in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research, live chat tools can help boost sales and increase profits.
BALTIMORE, MD, May 13, 2025 – As communities across the United States continue to confront the devastating toll of mass shootings, new research reveals a staggering economic dimension to these tragedies. A study published in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science finds that mass shootings cause an estimated $27 billion in annual lost revenue for U.S. retailers driven by sharp declines in foot traffic, reduced transaction volume and long-term store closures.
BALTIMORE, MD, May 13, 2025 – Researchers who took a close look at loosened concealed carry laws between 2010 and 2017 have found that “Shall Issue” regulations, which remove local authority discretion on the issuance of concealed carry gun permits, contribute to a significant increase in handgun purchases. At the same time, the researchers found that in states that adopted “Permitless Carry” policies, there was no noticeable change in gun purchases.
With sweeping new tariffs on Chinese-made products set to take effect this summer, Americans are being urged to prepare for price hikes on everyday goods. President Donald Trump's reinstated trade policies are expected to affect a wide swath of consumer imports, including electronics, furniture, appliances, and baby gear. Retail experts are advising shoppers to act before the tariffs hit and prices rise.
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According to new research published in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research, live chat tools can help boost sales and increase profits.
INFORMS, the leading international association for professionals in operations research and analytics, has selected six finalists for the 49th annual Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Advanced Analytics, Operations Research and Management Science, the world’s most prestigious award for achievement in the practice of analytics and operations research (O.R.).
CATONSVILLE, MD, January 8, 2020 – Live chat tools allow for communication between sellers and buyers. They are popular instruments for e-commerce sites that don’t have the advantage of face-to-face communication that brick-and-mortar stores do. New research in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research says these live chats can actually increase sales and boost profits.
The popularity of bike-share systems has grown in popularity thanks to the younger, more environmentally conscious generation. While they have garnered considerable attention in cities from Paris to Washington, D.C., their promise of urban transformation is far from being fully realized.
In his President’s Desk column in the February issue of OR/MS Today, INFORMS President Ramayya Krishnan shares examples of how O.R. and analytics are addressing some of society’s biggest problems, and the importance of collaboration and active engagement with government and industry, other INFORMS members, and the public to ensure O.R. and analytics continue to grow in vibrancy and relevance.
OR/MS Today is the INFORMS member magazine that shares the latest research and best practices in operations research, analytics and the management sciences.
Access OR/MS Today MagazineAnalytics magazine showcases articles and research reports based on big data, AI, machine learning, data analytics and other new-age technologies.
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