Research Topic

Report: Layoffs at Toys ‘R’ Us
Toys “R” Us is the latest company to downsize its workforce. The toy retailer laid off between 10% and 15% of the employees at its Wayne, New Jersey headquarters — approximately 250 jobs — on Friday, Feb. 17, Forbes said.
Survey: These retailers top customer service expectations
Exceptional customer service is key to driving long-term customer loyalty — and once again, B&H Photo Video, The Home Depot and Zappos are blazing the path. For the second year in a row, these three heavy hitters topped the 20th Annual Mystery Shopping Study. The report from Astound Commerce recognized retailers who excel in customer service through an assessment of “must-have” website features and behavior based on engagement with available touchpoints.

Study: A majority of millennials shop online for groceries

When it comes to shopping for groceries, millennials are apparently no fan of supermarkets. Nearly two-thirds of millennials shop online weekly for groceries, and this demographic has the potential to transform the retail grocery business, according to new research released by Clavis Insight.
Specialty retailer to explore alternatives

An Indianapolis-based appliance and electronics chain is bringing in outside help as it struggles with sinking sales. Hhgregg announced that it has engaged subsidiaries of Stifel Financial Corp. for advice on potential strategic and financial transactions as the retailer works to improve liquidity and return to profitability.
Commentary: Some red flags in January sales results

The year kicks off with a respectable set of retail sales numbers that show continued momentum in the consumer economy. The overall growth rate of 4.9% is a little way above the average monthly growth rate of 3.3% recorded in 2016, something that will give retailers some cheer as they head into 2017.
January was hot for retailers

Retail sales sizzled in January, beating expectations. Even the struggling department store sector managed to beat the odds. Retail sales, excluding automobiles and gasoline, grew 0.4% in January, according to the National Retail Federation. (The numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants)
Amazon reveals some Prime data

For the first time ever, Amazon has released data that details how much money its Prime membership program and other subscription services bring in. Amazon disclosed in its latest annual filing that it brought in $6.4 billion from Amazon Prime and other subscription services, Bloomberg reported.
Study: Retailers leave money on table due to lack of personalized service

Disappointing shopping experiences are costing brick-and-mortar retailers serious money. Stores left about $150 billion in potential revenue on the table in 2016 by failing to offer shoppers personalized in-store shopping experiences. Shoppers would increase their in-store spending by 4.7% — if they received better, more personalized service from retailers.
Accenture: Traditional loyalty programs waste ‘billions’ in digital age

Organizations are throwing away billions of dollars annually on customer loyalty programs that just don’t work like they used to. This was revealed in the Accenture report, “Seeing Beyond the Loyalty Illusion: It’s Time You Invest More Wisely.” The study gauges the experiences and attitudes of 25,426 consumers around the world about their current loyalty relationship with brands and organizations.
Is Facial Recognition in Retail Market Research the Next Big Thing?

Remember the memory-erasing Neuralyzer in "Men in Black"? Or more recently, "Ex Machina," the Oscar-winning story of a humanoid robot that uses emotional persuasion to outsmart humans and escape from the secluded home of its creator?
These three retailers are tops in corporate reputation

Another corporate ranking, another first place finish by Amazon. The online giant came out on top in Harris Poll’s annual corporate reputation rankings report. The poll measures the reputations of the 100 most visible companies in the United States as perceived by the general public.
ComScore: Digital spending rises 18% in Q4

Digital shoppers across the United States outdid themselves in the fourth quarter. Shoppers spent $109.3 billion online during fourth quarter 2016, according to comScore. Overall, this marked an 18% increase compared to the same quarter in 2015. The majority of this online spending — $86.6 billion — occurred on desktop computers, a 13% increase compared to a year ago.