Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

WASHINGTON — Halloween will be a popular holiday this year, according to the National Retail Federation, as more consumers this year are expected to partake in traditional festivities. 

Washington, D.C. -- Halloween celebrations will be booming this year as more people than ever are expected to partake in traditional festivities. According to NRF’s 2011 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey conducted by BIGresearch, seven in 10 Americans (68.6%) plan to celebrate Halloween, up from 63.8% last year and the most in NRF’s 10-year survey history.

London -- Across Europe, it is men who are driving the charge into Internet shopping, according to a new study by CB Richard Ellis (CBRE). The report, released at the World Retail Congress in Berlin, finds that while women have driven in-store shopping, men shop nearly twice as often online as women (buying once every 2.5 weeks versus once a month).

Among the key findings:

Matthews, N.C. -- Family Dollar Stores announced Wednesday that it plans to open 450 to 500 new stores in fiscal 2012, a 50% jump compared with the number of openings in fiscal 2011, and will renovate, relocate or expand over 1,000 locations. The discounter also reported that its fiscal fourth-quarter net income rose 8%.

“In fiscal 2012, we intend to accelerate investments to drive sales and profitability,” said Howard Levine, chairman and CEO.

Minneapolis -- Best Buy Co. said Tuesday that it has cut its 2011 seasonal hiring plans to about half of last year’s staff numbers, in a move to curtail costs. This year’s plans call for 15,000 holiday workers, compared with 29,000 hired last year.

Atlanta -- The prepaid gift card market remained healthy in the first half of 2011, experiencing a higher rate of growth than U.S. consumer spending despite the sluggish macroeconomic environment. That’s one finding of a new analysis on the U.S. gift card market from First Data Advisors.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — New research from Nielsen shows consumers will be practical and focused on value during the upcoming holiday season, which bodes well for Target as one on the nation’s leading toy retailers and top destination for gift givers.

CINCINNATI — While research groups are predicting various results for holiday spending, such retailers as Macy's Inc. are hoping that expectations for increased spending will prove to be right and are boosting seasonal hiring in preparation. Macy’s Inc. said it plans to hire approximately 78,000 seasonal associates for its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers nationwide for the 2011 holiday season.

Chicago -- Meeting the needs of aging consumers offers retailers and brand marketers a major opportunity going forward, according to a new study by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

Mature consumers form a worldwide market segment that spent $8 trillion in 2010 and will be spending $15 trillion annually by the end of this decade, the study estimated. Based on current worldwide demographic trajectories, in five years there will be more people over the age of 60 than under five; in 30 years, there will be more people over 60 than under 16.