Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

Princeton, N.J. -- This year 2015 is shaping up to be another great year for rebates and incentives in North America, particularly when it comes to controls, according to a report BriteSwitch, which helps large national take advantage of rebate programs. Currently, 72% of the country is covered by an active commercial lighting rebate program.

Washington, D.C. -- An overwhelming majority (70%) of consumers around the globe say that the best way retailers can add value to their shopping experience is to provide easy access to information about their products and services, both online and in stores. That’s one of the key takeaways of a new consumer research study by Oracle.

New York -- U.S. companies spend $2 billion on loyalty programs, but the investment isn’t yielding the type of increased engagement which drove implementation of the programs, according to a new report from Capgemini Consulting. For example, the firm found that the average U.S. household is a member of 21 loyalty programs, but only actively uses 44% of them.

Retailers are surely getting tired of hearing about how their digital capabilities fall short of customer expectations but that familiar drumbeat is contained in a new report from Capgemini Consulting called, “Fixing the Cracks: Reinventing Loyalty Programs for the Digital Age.”

Reading, Pa. -- Specialty retailer Soft Surroundings has chosen Ambius Premium Scenting to enhance the shopping experience for its customers at all 18 retail locations. The scenting is designed to create greater customer dwell time and increase purchasing intent for this innovative retailer.

Las Vegas -- The boards of directors of A.R.E. (the Association for Retail Environments) and POPAI (Point of Purchase Advertising International) have voted to enter a due diligence phase and work in good faith toward a definitive agreement to merge the two associations.

At their respective board meetings held during GlobalShop in Las Vegas this week, both not-for-profit groups agreed to a preliminary framework that will allow them to better serve their members and advance the industry as a combined organization.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – It probably takes less to satisfy the average consumer than it does to satisfy Mick Jagger, but even still, consumers can’t seem to get any satisfaction these days. According to new data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), the national level of customer satisfaction dropped 0.5% to 75.2 in fourth quarter 2014.

Waban, Mass. – Supermarket chain H-E-B is the most trusted chain in the most trusted niche of retail. H-E-B took the top spot in the 2015 Temkin Trust Ratings, which measured the trust of 10,000 U.S. consumers across 293 companies in 20 industries.