What are companies such as Macy's, Tesco, American Express and Wal-Mart Stores doing with big data? The Data Mill reports.

Here are 10 examples:

1. Macy's Inc. and real-time pricing. The retailer adjusts pricing in near-real time for 73 million (!) items, based on demand and inventory, using technology from SAS Institute.

To sustain an advantage in a consumer-empowered economy, financial institutions must develop an in-depth understanding of customers they service and markets they operate in. Many marketing and product teams continue to rely on consumer surveys to obtain important information that guides decision making process in developing new products and launching advertising campaigns.