Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

With Easter being almost a month later than last year, Americans are on track to spend more than ever, according to the National Retail Federation.  

Moody's Investors Service has some good news for the U.S. supermarket industry.    Grocery stores’ operating profits will grow at a fairly healthy rate again this year after a disappointing 2016, according to Moody’s new report, "Companies Will Perform Better in 2017 as Deflationary Pressure Wanes. Profitability last year was crimped by an unprecedented level of deflation for an economy not in recession, the report noted, but as downward pressure on prices wanes, things will pick up in the latter half of this year.

Consumers feel good about some — but not all — retail technologies.    That’s according to a new study by Oracle, Retail 2025, which reveals that consumers are most willing to engage brands with new technology if they feel that they are in control of their experience.  

Shoppers are no longer willing to pay full price as deep discounts influence consumer behavior.   That is one of the key findings of a new consumer report by First Insight, which found that widespread discounting by department stores and mass merchants is significantly influencing the expectations of discounts when consumers shop in other product categories.   

Despite the growth of online shopping, brick and mortar stores are still critical to retail success.   “Retail stores are not dead,” said Shelley E. Kohan, VP of retail consulting at RetailNext Inc. “The retailers who continue to embrace change in their business models will be well positioned for today and in the future."  

Mobile wallet usage in the United States remains small, and shows no signs of increasing anytime soon.   This was according to “PYMNTS/InfoScout Mobile Payment Adoption,” a new report from PYMNTS.com. The survey, which was conducted in March 2017 among more than 7,655 consumers, said less than one in 20 consumers who have one of the main mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Sam-sung Pay, and Android Pay) use it regularly.   

Forget about online. The biggest threat to Macy’s and other department store retailers is coming from bricks-and-mortar.   Speaking at a recent conference in New York City, Macy's CFO Karen Hoguet said off-price retailers have proven a bigger long-term challenge to the company than the Internet, CNBC reported.

More omnichannel retailers offer buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) services to shorten their delivery windows. Yet, 60% of shoppers have yet to take advantage of the service.   That’s according to a new report, “Buy Online, Pick-up In-Store” from ChargeItSpot, which was based on responses from over 2,074 shoppers at 20 malls across the country.