Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

Exceptional customer service continues to drive growth at Publix Supermarkets, which had strong earnings and same-store sales growth in its third quarter.

Publix sales for the third quarter 2015 totaled $7.8 billion, representing a 6.3% increase from last year. Comparable-store sales for the third quarter of 2015 increased 4.2%.

Although social commerce is still relatively new, it appears to be quickly gaining acceptance with consumers.

According to a new survey of more than 1,500 U.S. consumers from Citi Retail Services, social commerce, or the concept of using social media to drive sales, is evolving and growing at a faster pace than all other online channels. And shoppers are buying in.

Retailers, are you prepared for the millennial effect?

Born roughly between 1980 and 2000, millennials, are poised to cause a tidal shift in the retail industry because of their spending power and unique characteristics that greatly influence how and what they purchase. According to Advertising Age, millennials will spend more than $200 billion annually starting in 2017 and $10 trillion in their lifetimes.

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.

“Now Trending” is an exclusive online series to chainstoreage.com, featuring trending topics that impact the retail real estate landscape.

It appears fraudsters are shifting their tactics online even in advance of the migration of in-store POS to EMV compliance.

The U.S. Retail Fraud Survey 2015 has reported a substantial increase in online credit card fraud. Published by Retail Knowledge and sponsored by cash handling technology provider Volumatic, the survey shows the biggest area of online loss remains, overwhelmingly, from the fraudulent use of credit cards (66%).

Retail is a lot like real estate – it’s all about location, location, location.

At least this is the conclusion of the fourth annual Mobile Path to Purchase study from location-based marketing provider xAd. The 2015 report reveals that 35% of U.S. shoppers who researched their impending purchases on their mobile device expect to buy within the hour.

In addition, those who research goods and services on the go are nearly twice as likely to purchase within the hour than those at home, and have a greater likelihood to convert in store.

More consumers plan to shop on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday, according to a recent Morpace Omnibus report.

Holiday intentions for U.S. consumers were revealed when the Omnibus data showed that out of 1,001 individuals surveyed, more than 57% plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year, compared to only 35% planning to shop on Black Friday. And of those planning to shop on Black Friday, only 23% will be strictly going to retail locations while another 55% will be shopping both in-store and online.