Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. -- Seventy-four percent of workers report they are concerned that the U.S. fiscal cliff will lead to layoffs, according to a survey released Thursday by career transition and talent development consulting firm Lee Hecht Harrison.

In December, the firm surveyed more than 200 workers throughout the U.S. via an online poll asking, “Are you concerned that the U.S. fiscal cliff will lead to layoffs in your organization?” The results were as follows:
Very much 40%; Moderately 22%; 
Slightly 12%; Not at all 26%.

Amazon.com, LLBean.com and QVC.com were the top three retailers on ForeSee’s Annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction survey.

Washington, D.C. -- A report issued Thursday by the Conference Board said that its consumer confidence index fell sharply in December to 65.1 from 75.1 in November, impacted by fears of tax increases and impending government spending cuts.

The fall in confidence is the second straight decline and the lowest level since August.

The survey showed that consumers are slightly more optimistic about current business conditions and hiring. But their outlook for the next six months deteriorated to its lowest level since 2011.

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Amazon remains at the head of the class in terms of customer service, according to the annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction Index released Thursday by customer experience analytics firm ForeSee.

Generally speaking, I’m not big on trend forecasts. Maybe it’s because there are so many of them, particularly at this time of the year. They all seem to blend together into a mass of predictions and statistics.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation welcomed the House vote on legislation intended to avoid middle-class tax increases in the fiscal cliff, saying progress on the issue is critically important.

Greek yogurt is all the rage in the dairy aisle and General Mill’s Yoplait brand of the popular product and other new items made meaningful contribution to the company’s second quarter sales.

Chicago -- E-commerce and digital marketing company Acquity Group announced Monday social media findings that revealed the vast majority of retailers don’t respond to customer tweets.
 
The 2012 Brand eCommerce Audit evaluated Interbrand's 2012 Best Retail Brands on customer engagement across major digital channels, including big browser, social and mobile.