It is easy to find articles that mention analytics. It is harder to find one that gives some concrete examples. A recent article on Fab.com (a fast rising $140 million design retailer) does a nice job in one small paragraph of mentioned what they are doing with analytics:
WSJ: How are you using data to figure out what customers want?
Mr. Goldberg: We do a ton of customer segmentation, a ton of cohort analysis. We’re starting to get smart about putting certain products in front of people based on what they’ve looked at in the past or bought in the past. We’re already one of the leaders in utilizing data for e-commerce when it comes to understanding a wide range of products and how to merchandise them. You’ll see much more personalization and customization come out next year.
(For a good definition of cohort analysis, see here or here)
Course Info for Operations, Analytics, Statistics, and Optimization 