Ruby Tuesday, dunnhumby reach deal

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The deal represents an exclusive partnership for dunnhumbyUSA in the casual-dining sector of the foodservice industry.

Under the agreement, dunnhumbyUSA will analyze guest sales data and develop customer segmentation models. They will also work with Ruby Tuesday to apply tactics, based on what is learned, that align with the company's existing customer-focused initiatives for sales growth.

"All categories of business have seen their share of growth challenges during this time of economic uncertainty," said Stuart Aitken, CEO of dunnhumbyUSA, in a release. "Casual dining has been particularly hard-hit, but Ruby Tuesday has very strategically repositioned their offering as 'high-quality casual' to further differentiate from competitors. Our work partnering with Ruby Tuesday will build on this higher-quality value offering."

"We're excited about where our brand is today and that our guests have noticed the changes in our restaurants," said Sandy Beall, Chairman, CEO and founder of Maryville, Tenn.-based Ruby Tuesday. "We need to continue to communicate regularly with our guests so that they want to visit us more often, and we believe dunnhumbyUSA can help us achieve that."