Attitudes: Retailers

Consumers find it easy to use social media for brand engagement, but that doesn’t mean they are using it.

According to the new “Global Brand Simplicity Index” from New York-based branding firm Siegel+Gale, 65% of consumers say social media is a simple platform for learning about brands, products and services via social media. Yet only 32% use social media for this purpose.

Similarly, 45% of consumers find social media simple for engaging customer service, but only 11% use social media for customer service engagement.

At NRF, we like to think of ourselves as the industry’s chief storyteller. As the nation’s largest private-sector employer, with 3.7 million retail establishments across the country employing close to 30 million people serving every community in the nation, retail has a lot of stories to tell.

Nearly one-third of retailers surveyed by JLL say they plan to open on Thanksgiving Day in order to get a jump on Black Friday sales.

JLL’s 2015 Holiday Sentiment Report, which includes feedback from largely national or global retailers in JLL-managed shopping centers across the United States, also reveals more than half of those retailers expect an uptick in shopper traffic this year.

Walmart and Hobby Lobby top the retailer list of the first ever annual Faith Equality Index.

Faith Driven Consumer, a group that represents 41 million Christian consumers, has published an index rating the faith compatibility of major brands both in the consumer and entertainment spheres, as well as serving as a voice for this community.

Southeastern Grocers on Thursday announced a significant pricing initiative that addresses exactly what customers need: a $40 million investment into permanent lower prices on the products Winn-Dixie customers buy the most.

Customers stated in a recent survey that “affordable prices” was the most important requirement from a grocery store, so Winn-Dixie is introducing a New Regular Pricing Program that will permanently reduce the prices on more than 1,500 grocery items at all 518 Winn-Dixie stores.

A new survey has revealed some more glum news about shrink in the U.S. retail industry.

Retailers know the Internet of Things (IoT) is coming and will bring significant changes. But their preparedness for it is less certain.

The mandate for retailers to accept chip-enabled, EMV-compliant payment cards starts Oct. 1. But how ready an individual retailer is may depend on what type of retailer they are.

At least that’s according to a new study from The Strawhecker Group (TSG), which shows that a leading 69% of shoe stores and 59% of department stores have EMV-ready POS terminals .

On the lower end of the spectrum, 24% of bookstores and 23% of stationery stores have EMV-ready terminals. Previous TSG research shows that 27% of all retailers will be EMV-ready by Oct. 1.

Social media plays an important role in the grocery shopping process. According to a new study from market research firm Packaged Facts, “Retail Food Marketing Trends in the U.S.: Technology, Mobile, and Social Media,” a majority of grocery store shoppers use social media to get recipes (59%).

The Retail Industry Leaders Association introduced its second Retail Energy Management Report, a resource for companies to compare energy management programs across the industry and identify opportunities for progress.

The report was released prior to the opening of RILA’s 2015 Retail Sustainability Conference, now in its eighth year.