Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

New York -- Belk Inc., the largest family owned and operated department store chain in the United States, is exploring strategic alternatives. The news was first reported by Reuters on Thursday, and was confirmed later in the day by the retailer in a statement issued to media outlets.
 

Despite bad publicity from a “60 Minutes” report alleging carcinogens in some of the hardwood it sells, Lumber Liquidators increased sales in the first quarter of 2015.

Armonk, N.Y. – There is a significant perception gap between how well businesses think they are marketing and the actual customer's experience. A U.S. study of 276 marketers and more than 1,100 consumers, developed by Econsultancy for IBM found that almost 90% of marketers agree that personalizing the customer experience is critical to their success.

Despite this widespread agreement, nearly 80% of consumers stated that the average brand doesn't understand them as an individual.

Retailers are mostly meeting the needs of today’s omnichannel customer, but there’s still room for improvement, according to a new study.

The 2015 Omnichannel Fulfillment Special Report by Kurt Salmon analyzed retailers’ peak-season fulfillment plans and realities to uncover successes, challenges and opportunities for this year.

Austin, Texas -- The United States continues to lead e-commerce among the most Internet-friendly markets surveyed in North America and Europe, according to an international study commissioned by RetailMeNot.

Washington, D.C. - An Obama administration proposal to expand overtime and redefine what it means to be a restaurant or retail manager may harm mangers’ career paths and undermine the quality of customer service they are able to provide. According to a new survey 200 salaried retail and restaurant managers conducted for the National Retail Federation (NRF) by GfK Research, 81% of respondents said there would be an adverse impact on customer service.

Costco, Amazon.com and Apple rank highest in customer loyalty, according to this year’s Net Promoter Consumer Study.

The study ranks more than 220 brands, such as Costco, Amazon.com, Apple and more across 22 U.S. industry sectors, including financial services, insurance, technology, online entertainment, retail stores, electronics, travel and hospitality, and telecommunications.

London – The Amazon Prime paid shipping service appears to be in a membership boom. New Millward Brown Digital research suggests that the percentage of Amazon traffic from Amazon Prime members has increased 300% in the last year.

The increase in Amazon Prime membership means that an increasing amount of shoppers at other retailers are also Prime members. For example, during the most recent holiday season, almost one in 10 Walmart.com shoppers was an Amazon Prime members.