Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- A survey released Tuesday by Oracle and Art Technology Group, which Oracle acquired in November 2010, found that mobile commerce is experiencing dramatic growth.

Houston -- A survey released Tuesday by NPD Group found that morning and evening commutes are a peak time for super heavy users of convenience stores to visit, while moderate and light users tend to visit more during the evening commute.

The nation’s capital tops a list of the healthiest retail markets for 2011. The ranking, “ChainLinks/Terranomics Retail Power Rankings for 2011,” is based on the general overall health of a marketplace and includes such factors as overall economic indicators, income growth, ongoing construction, rental rate trends, and the amount of retail demand in the market.

Retail is a hard enough business without muddying the waters with all sorts of activities that have nothing to do with selling stuff shoppers want and need. To recap, Target gave some money to a homophobic politician who a lot of people thought was a jerk, which created an uprising in the gay and lesbian community and resulted in the company adopting a new policy to govern the political contribution process.

Japan may be a wealthy country, but as the death toll there continues to rise, major U.S. corporations are stepping up with significant donations and Target is among them. The company last week announced it would contribute $500,000 to Save the Children, an organization that is aiding with Japan’s earthquake and tsunami relief efforts.

Walmart's efforts to open in New York City were helped last week when a new poll, released Friday, found that New Yorkers would shop at Walmart if one opened in the city. No kidding? Target is already there and New Yorkers love Target, so it stands to reason they will love Walmart too even though the companies offer a slightly different value proposition and Walmart comes with a lot more baggage.

Chicago -- Retailers and consumer product manufacturers who create and maintain a diverse workforce are more likely to increase innovation and meet consumer needs than those who don’t, according to a new report by the Network of Executive Women.

New York City -- Shoppers plan to wait until next year and beyond to spend generously again, a survey on Monday showed, in an early sign that rising gasoline prices could make the spring selling season tough for retailers, Reuters reported.

About three-quarters of Americans surveyed by America's Research Group said they were shopping less due to rising gas prices, with more than 62% of the participants planning to spend generously only next year or beyond.

New York City -- A new poll released Friday finds that New Yorkers would shop at Walmart if one opened in the city. According to the Quinnipiac University poll, 68% of New Yorkers said that if it were convenient for them, they would shop at Walmart. That is compared with 29% who said they would not.

Nearly identical numbers of people say the chain's lower prices would eat into small business sales.

Of those polled, 57% say they think elected officials should allow Walmart to move into the city, while 36% do not.

By Jon Weber, [email protected]

As a consumer, you’re aware that basic demographic information doesn’t reflect your personality or pinpoint why you make your purchasing decisions. Retailers that probe beneath the surface of shallow customer profiles can gain the true market intelligence required to uncover new opportunities and focus on areas with the highest growth potential.