Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

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.

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.

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.

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.

NEW YORK — Next to gas, the rising cost of food almost always tops consumers' list of spending concerns, and those concerns will surely rise as food prices reached peak levels last month, according to the Labor Department's Producer Price Index. The particularly high increase in the cost of both fresh and dry vegetables not only hurts consumer wallets, but could also curtail efforts, such as this partnership between First Lady Obama and Walmart, to encourage Americans to eat healthier.

A first of its kind conference focused on shopper behavior is scheduled for May 12 in Fayetteville, Ark., home of the Center for Retailing Excellence within the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. The conference is called SHOP and features a number of thought leaders in the field of consumer research and shopper insights and was designed to complement the Center’s Emerging Trends in Retailing Conference that is held each fall.

NEW YORK — Any hope that consumer spending will improve may be dampered by predictions of rising gas prices. 

Nielsen predicts that in the United States, Nielsen noted, households could be paying an extra $52.50 with a 50-cent increase in gas prices, $105 with a $1 increase and $210 if prices jump up $2, prompting consumers to tighten their wallets. This will mirror historic trends, which include increased trip compression, more value-conscious shopping alternatives and increased use of coupons, Nielsen said.

NEW YORK — A report released by payment system provider ACI Worldwide found that many retail loyalty programs leave consumers feeling underappreciated and many consumers are enrolled in a program they don’t completely understand.