Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

North Bergen, N.J. -- The Vitamin Shoppe has been recognized as the top-rated vitamin store and top-rated vitamin store brand based on consumer satisfaction in ConsumerLab.com's 2014 survey of vitamin and supplement users. Each year, ConsumerLab.com, a provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition, surveys its subscribers about the vitamins and supplements they use.

New York -- Pinterest, more than Facebook or YouTube, is supplying the greatest percentage of downstream traffic to retail sites, according to new research from Experian Marketing Services. The company’s 2014 “Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report” also reveals that after visiting Facebook, YouTube or Pinterest, consumers go to Amazon.com more frequently than any other retailer website.

Here’s how the downstream traffic from social media sites to retail sites shapes up in the Experian report:

Finish Line chairman and CEO Glenn Lyon said the company’s successful execution of its consumer-centric omnichannel strategy drove solid gains in its core business and that growth initiatives contributed meaningfully to its record full-year revenue and profits.

The company reported net income of $42.75 million during the fourth quarter, up 28% from $33.47 million in the year-ago period. Net sales climbed 17% to $518.87 million from $442.68 million and same-store sales increased 6.3%.

Washington, D.C. -- Consumers opened up their pocketbooks a bit in February, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Commerce Department. Consumer spending increased 0.3% last month after a downwardly revised gain of 0.2% in January. The February increase was the biggest since November.

Personal income was up 0.3%, matching January's gain. It was the second straight monthly increase.

College Station, Texas -- The Center for Retailing Studies (CRS) at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School has united with GameStop and IBM to found the GameStop Technology Institute (GTI), a consortium of technology corporations and academic institutions focused on discovering and delivering business innovation and technology solutions to better address the needs of today’s empowered consumer.

New York – Beauty shoppers take word-of-mouth recommendations more than any other medium. According to a new survey from Tremor Video, about half of beauty shoppers buy to replenish their supply, while many shoppers are in-market because they’re looking to try a new product.

Washington, D.C. – Consumer spending growth of 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2013 helped drive a 2.6% increase in the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). According to the third and final estimate from the Commerce Department, the price index for gross domestic purchases, which measures prices paid by U.S. residents, increased 1.5% in the fourth quarter.

New York – Amazon.com and Google were among the biggest winners in the annual CoreBrand Top 100 Most Powerful Brands Rankings for 2014, both increasing in their rankings. Walgreens and UPS dropped 11 spots each.

The report ranks the top 100 corporate brands in terms of market reputation and awareness. Consumer-cyclical and consumer-staple brands represent 58 of the top 100 corporate brands, which CoreBrand says indicates that the most powerful brands have a strong connection to consumers.