Graph Database Solutions Gain Popularity as Neo4j is Implemented by eBay and Walmart

More businesses around the world are turning to graph databases in order to improve their services. Graph databases are powerful and scalable tools that store data in nodes and edges that allow users to search the storage system based on the relations data points have to one another, with no need for index lookups. The most popular graph database solution on the planet is Neo Technology Graph’s Neo4j, which has recently been adopted by eBay and Walmart to transform the world of retail shopping.

Ebay uses Neo4j in an effort to improve the quality of their same-day delivery service around the world, and gain a leg up on local commerce in a customer’s area. About 3 out of every 4 commercial transactions still happens within 15 miles of a consumer’s home, and while E-commerce is convenient, waiting for the order to arrive takes time.

eBay (News - Alert) chose Neo4j to streamline the way they calculate routes and other delivery functions due to the system’s flexibility, speed and ease of use, and according to Senior Developer Volker Pacher they are already seeing appreciable results. “We found Neo4j to be literally thousands of times faster than our prior MySQL solution, with queries that require 10-100 times less code. Today, Neo4j provides eBay with functionality that was previously impossible.”

Graph database solutions like Neo4j store information in nodes, but large portions of information are stored in the “edges” that connect nodes, and show the relationship between certain nodes. Today, Walmart uses this data to analyze user reviews of products as well as social media opinions of products. This helps Walmart understand the behavior of their online shoppers and how they respond compared to in-store customers, allowing for real-time product recommendations.