Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

Beaverton, Ore. – Consumers have judged the checkout experience, and found it wanting. According to a new survey of about 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by Harris Poll for barcode technology provider Digimarc Corp., 88% of respondents want their store checkout experience to be faster.

Austin, Texas – Parents are always telling their school-aged children that character is key, and they also apply a version of that maxim to back-to-school shopping. According to a recent survey by RetailMeNot, parents say their kids want school supplies featuring popular characters from films and TV shows.

Respondents indicated their children want "Minions"-themed school supplies the most (33%) followed by "Jurassic World" (31%), "SpongeBob" (24%) and "Star Wars" (22%).

With back-to-school shopping on the horizon, parents are looking to get their shopping started early in the hope of getting the best deals, according to Meijer’s customer survey. 

Grand Rapids, Mich. – Back-to-school shoppers are both willing to spend more and also seeking savings this season. According to a new survey that department store chain Meijer conducted of its customers, approximately 92% of households with school-age children plan to spend the same amount or more than the previous year for back-to–school supplies.

West Sacramento, Calif. – Raley’s Supermarkets is considering hitting the big city. According to The Sacramento Bee, Raley’s is evaluating the launch of a smaller “farmer’s market” store format aimed at hip urban dwellers.

The format would focus on healthy and locally produced items. If Raley’s goes ahead with the concept, it could take up to two years to roll them out. Raley’s is considering opening two of the urban stores in downtown Sacramento.

Donald Trump contends he doesn’t forget and that could be a bad thing for Macy’s now that polls show the businessman turned politician leading a crowded field of Republican presidential hopefuls and using campaign stops to belittle the department store chain.

Louisville, Colo. – When it comes to filling their tanks, consumers are most satisfied by two retailers.

Wawa and Costco are the most satisfying gas station/convenience store and wholesale/grocery/big box retailers for fuel, respectively, according to a new survey of 6,935 U.S. consumers by Market Force Information.

It’s no secret that in order to create great customer experiences and maximize sales, it’s imperative to have a deep understanding of the motivations that drive your customers’ buying behaviors and preferences. This is true across the entire path to purchase — from advertising to point of sale and beyond. So far, this is “motherhood and apple pie” to any marketer.