Data Warehouse Powers Retail Analytics at Scale

Challenge: Fragmented Data Threatened Peak-Season Decisions

A global athletic apparel brand’s FP&A team struggled with disparate data sources, stakeholder misalignment, and no clear structure for decision-making ahead of peak retail season. Missing the October reporting deadline would disrupt financial and sales insights during their most critical period. They needed a data warehouse solution and tighter processes to deliver accurate, timely financial data analytics, without jeopardizing revenue or operational stability.

Our client, a global athletic apparel brand, needed a technical partner to enable data architecture, engineering, and visualization for their FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis) team. Disparate data sources and lack of alignment among key stakeholders put key initiatives at risk.  With the high-pressure retail season starting in mid-October, accurate and timely financial reporting was non-negotiable; setting up the new structure, and fast, was imperative. Any delays or system changes beyond that date could disrupt sales reporting during the most critical time of year. The new structure needed to be fully operational before this deadline, ready to support business decisions in real-time.

Solution: Aligning Data, Teams, and Workflows

Sparq took ownership of the project portfolio and delivered clarity, speed, and structure:

• Connected Data: Unified disparate sources through Snowflake for reliable, centralized reporting.

• Built Scalable Pipelines: Generated machine-learning datasets for advanced analytics.

• Retail Data Analytics Expertise: Acted as data consultants to define opportunities, unlock insights, and recommend actionable decisions.

• Visual Storytelling: Produced dashboards, infographics, and charts for clear stakeholder communication.

• Workflow Optimization: Designed sprint planning, backlog grooming, and risk management processes.

• Team Enablement: Created onboarding materials, trained new hires, and removed blockers to keep delivery on track.

Results: Insights Delivered When They Mattered Most

Sparq’s structured approach ensured the FP&A team delivered critical insights on time, supporting over 100 team members directly and influencing decisions across finance, operations, and product teams. The new data warehouse and improved processes protected retail sales reporting during peak season and positioned the retailer for stronger, data-driven decision-making going forward.