Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

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.

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.

Shoppers have wasted no time in getting started with their holiday purchases this year, according to a new survey.

The National Retail Federation’s Consumer Holiday Spending Survey shows that 56.6% of those celebrating the holidays had already started shopping by early November, up from 54.4% last year and 16% from the 49% who had started by this time in 2008, the first time NRF asked the question. This also marks the highest percentage seen in that timeframe.

Experts and regular folks alike are puzzled by the uproar over Starbucks’ holiday cup design, the Associated Press reported. Even New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan sounded a curious note, saying "I don't think it's like Starbucks had the Christmas crib on their cups to begin with.” [Associated Press]

Strong back-to-school sales allowed Kohl's to upstage Macy's in the third quarter.

Kohl's revenue rose a better-than expected 1.2% to $4.43 billion in the period ended Oct. 31. Same-store sales rose 1%. Earnings fell to $120 million, or 63 cents a share, from $142 million, or 70 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding a loss on the extinguishment of debt, adjusted per-share earnings were 75 cents a share, which also beat expectations.

Single adults, a lucrative demographic that now comprises half the U.S. population, continues to be overlooked or misrepresented by U.S. marketers and retailers, according to a report by retail marketing agency TPN and market insights firm C+R Research.

The study, "Millions of Singles, Billions at Stake: The Rise of the New Independents," busts myths and stereotypes to help brands and retailers understand, engage and celebrate singles.

A prolonged drop in gas prices is boosting hopes among retailers that consumers will spend more this holiday season.

According to the latest Consumer Fuels Survey by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), more than one in four (26%) consumers expect to increase their spending this month, a seven-point jump over the past month and the highest percentage this year. Last November, only 21% of consumers expected to increase their spending, according to the survey.

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.