Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

San Francisco -- A new U.S. study conducted online by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Placecast showed that fathers use their mobile phones to save money.

The Wave IV poll in the Alert Shopper series of research revealed that 58% of American dads with smartphones said they had taken action on a promotion or coupon received on their phones, outpacing moms and those without kids.
 

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by the Commerce Dept. said that retail sales in the U.S. gained 0.6% in May, more than forecast and likely boosted by increased hiring during the month.

The increase was the largest in three months and followed a 0.1% advance in April. Bloomberg economists called for a 0.4% increase. The figures used to calculate economic growth, which exclude categories such as automobiles, climbed 0.3%.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation reported Thursday that retail sales in May increased 0.6% seasonally adjusted from April and rose 4.8% unadjusted year-over-year.

The results, which excluded automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, were boosted by improved consumer confidence and spending.

MATTHEWS, N.C. — With Father’s Day just around the corner, Family Dollar is touting its small-store format, accessible staff and assorted product offerings to draw shoppers into its stores.

The value retailer is offering greeting cards, apparel and grills, while reminding shoppers that stores carry not only grills but also charcoal, coolers, hot dogs, hamburgers and even condiments.

Portland, Maine – Consumers younger than 35 are nearly twice as likely to download a mobile app from a retailer or brand as those older than 50, according to data from a new survey conducted by CashStar and Digital Research. More than half of consumers who download retailer or brand mobile apps are use them at least once a week, most commonly for coupons, discounts and sales.

Retailers looking for insight into popular new products in the candy and snacks world can thank organizers of the Sweets & Snacks Expo for doing some heavy lifting.
 
A panel of experts at the 17th annual event sifted through hundreds of samples prior to the sold out trade show in Chicago and found eight worthy of the distinction of “Most Innovative New Product.”

Yonkers, N.Y. – American consumers are reporting significantly fewer financial troubles than any time in the past three years, according to the Consumer Reports Index. The Index’s trouble tracker index, which measures the proportion of consumers that have faced difficulties as well as the number of negative financial events they have encountered, dropped from 41.7 in April to 34 in May. This is the lowest trouble tracker score since Consumer Reports began reporting it in April 2009 and more than 50% below its all-time high score of 68.7 in September 2009.

Total U.S. Shopper Traffic in Retail Stores and Malls for May 2013

Shopper activity had a healthy gain last month. Retail foot traffic increased 9% in May compared to April 2013, consistent with generally positive month-over-month retail traffic trends. Foot traffic for May 2013 increased 6.9% compared to the same month in 2012.