Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

A new study by Staples shows that many Americans are burnt out and working more than ever thanks to the always on mentality of the connected economy. So why are we so happy?

New research from the Staple Advantage business-to-business division of Staples looked at the work behaviors of 2,602 employees in the U.S. and Canada to create the inaugural Workplace Index. The key takeaway is that more than half of employees report feeling overworked and burnt out (53%), but the overwhelming majority (86%) are still happy at work and motivated to rise in their organization.

Fireworks sales are expected to reach a record level this year and while reported injuries have declined seeking medical treatment is still a Fourth of July tradition for many.

The American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) forecasts that consumer fireworks sales will reach a record level this year. Backyard fireworks have never been more popular or in more demand, according to APA, and despite the sluggish economy sales grew from $600 million in 2006 to $662 million in 2013.

Washington, D.C. – Americans are feeling patriotic as July 4 approaches and putting their wallets where their feelings are. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) 2015 Independence Day Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, more than 156 million consumers, or 64% of those celebrating, are planning to take part in the July 4 holiday by attending a cookout, picnic or barbecue, spending an average of $71.23 per household, up 4% from $68.16 in 2014.

Nielsen knows what makes brand marketing effective and now the company is applying its consumer communications expertise to the world of packaging.

Nielsen Design Navigator is the name of a new creative enablement tool the company contends helps marketers improve the in-market effectiveness of package design.

Nielsen is known as a leader in marketing effectiveness, innovation forecasting and in-market success but the introduction of the Design Navigator is new territory. Why the company has made the move is understandable.

Talk about a perfect storm. As if the role of the CMO isn’t changing fast enough in all industries, the retail industry itself is undergoing major disruption and rapid transformation. As a result, retail CMOs certainly have their work cut out for themselves.

While by no means a comprehensive action plan, this article addresses five key imperatives that sit squarely in the eye of this storm.

New York -- The gap in prices between Amazon and Walmart.com’s grocery basket has widened in the past two months, according to a report by 360pi. The company conducted a two-month study, comparing a basket of grocery pantry/household items spanning a number of CPG brands with a non-grocery basket (such as toys, electronics and tools) basket shopped on Amazon.com and Walmart.com.

San Jose, Calif. – Digital technology stands ready to significantly disrupt retail and many other industries, yet many companies are not showing concern.  

New York -- An investigation of Whole Foods Market stores in New York City has found systemic overcharging of its customers for prepackaged food.

The city's Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) said some Whole Foods stores routinely overstated the weights of its pre-packaged products – including meats, dairy and baked goods – resulting in customers being overcharged. DCA tested packages of 80 different types of pre-packaged products and found all of the products had packages with mislabeled weights.

Franklin, Tenn. - Much of the retail industry’s $642.6 billion in annual returns worldwide ($246.3 billion in North America) can be prevented.

That’s according to a new research report from retail analyst firm IHL Group, commissioned by OrderDynamics, “Retailers and the Ghost Economy: The Haunting of Returns,” which finds that quality problems/product defects are the leading cause of retail returns.

Naples, Fla. – Retailers often may not have the tools they need to effectively fight omnichannel fraud. More than half (54%) of retailers in the U.S. and Europe still have to consolidate their fraud management solutions across all channels, according to new research conducted by Forrester Consulting for ACI Worldwide.