Multichannel apparel merchant Urban Outfitters Inc. has selected database marketing agency Merkle Inc. to manage data, analytics, strategy and build a comprehensive custom-built database infrastructure called a Knowledge Center for executing multichannel marketing programs in the US. The deal encompasses all of the company's retail brands, which include Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People. "We see a trend in the retail space of going away from really basic data processing to taking CRM more seriously," said Scott Cone, SVP and client team lead at Merkle.