Instructions: Read the mini$-$case study below and answer the following questions. Use appropriate data mining and analytics techniques in your response.

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Case Study:

A retail company noticed a decline in sales over the last six months. To address this, the company wants to leverage its vast customer data to understand buying patterns, predict future trends, and make data$-$driven decisions. The company has hired a business analytics consultant to analyze the data and recommend strategies for improving sales.

Questions:

What types of business analytics should the consultant use to address the company$$s problem? Justify your answer. $(5$ marks$)$

How can data visualization assist in the decision$-$making process for this company? Provide one specific example. $(5$ marks$)$