Research Topic

Report: Amazon’s price advantage narrows in key holiday category
Watch out Amazon, Walmart may be giving you a run for the money in the holiday toy aisles.
Beauty retailer outperforming all others in social media run up to Black Friday
With the Black Friday weekend nearly here, there are clear winners when it comes to social media engagement. At the head of the class is Sephora, with 2.4 million consumer interactions (reactions, comments, shares, retweets, favorites) across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Sephora’s top status is being driven by its success on Instagram, a site that reveals high consumer enthusiasm for the retailer’s offerings of makeup box sets and key brands, such as Bite Beauty and Urban Decay, as well as its own collection.

Survey: Gen Z is a big influencer

Watch out millennials, there’s a new generational cohort upsetting the retail landscape. Generation Z has become an increasingly important influencer of consumer spending, according to a new study by HRC Retail Advisory, with new shopping behaviors that focus on both malls and online shopping. (The HRC survey describes Gen Z as individuals born between 1999 and 2006).
Deloitte: Online, physical retailers tied for Black Friday weekend wallet share

As Black Friday quickly approaches, it is anyone’s game on who will garner the most wallet share — clicks or bricks. More than three-quarters (76%) of Americans plan to shop over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and they plan to spend $400 between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, a slight uptick from last year's intentions to spend $369.
Survey finds mixed signals about holiday spending

Not everyone is feeling confident about retail sales. U.S.-based importers and suppliers who sell goods to retailers are not entirely confident consumers are going to open their wallets, according to a new survey conducted by Capital Business Credit, a supply chain finance company.
What women want: A landscaping perspective

Plenty has been written about the importance of infusing experiences into shopping centers. Much has been written about placemaking. But not nearly enough has been written about the role a well-thought-out landscape environment contributes to overall experience and the power of "place." It’s more important to women shoppers than you might imagine.
Study: More shoppers will go mobile on Cyber Monday

Consumers are warming up their fingers as they prepare to shop on Cyber Monday. As more of these shoppers (63%) flock online for Cyber Monday, 54% will use a desktop or laptop. Twenty five percent (25%) of shoppers plan to use a smart phone or tablet, but 21% will use a combination of all of these devices, according to “Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Thanksgiving 2016,” a report from Perk, an engagement platform provider. The study is based on responses from 670 Perk users between Nov. 1-8, 2016.
Nielsen: Digital shopping to drive holiday sales in 2016

As shoppers use more devices to shop their favorite brands, it is not surprising that digital shopping will drive retail holiday sales. This message was delivered in Nielsen's 2016 holiday trend report, which tapped 1,159 adults aged 18 years and older. As of Nov. 11, online shopping was outpacing in-store visits, with 58% of shoppers already purchasing their holiday gifts online compared to 40% that went to big-box retail stores, and 25% who visited department stores.
Report: Retailers lack formal omnichannel demand planning processes

While retailers are focused on unified commerce, most retailers’ planning tools are not capable of supporting this digital environment. This message was revealed in Boston Retail Partners’ “2016 Merchandise Planning Survey,” a report based on responses from more than 500 North American retailers. The report delivers insight into retailers’ planning initiatives, priorities and future trends.
Study: Asia Pacific leads mobile cross-border shopping

As retailers expand their operations beyond their domestic borders, many are finding new opportunities to connect with new shoppers. This message was delivered in “PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research 2016,” a report from PayPal and Ipsos, a study that investigated the online domestic and cross-border shopping habits of more than 28,000 consumers in 32 countries.
A.T. Kearney: Economic resilience spikes holiday spending

Forty percent of U.S. consumers plan to spend more this year than during the 2015 holiday shopping season, driven by better job prospects and an improving economy. That’s one of the findings of the A.T. Kearney 2016 Holiday Shopping Survey, which was conducted online from Oct. 24 – Oct. 25, 2016.
The least busy day of the holiday shopping season will be…

Most experts agree that the busiest day of this year’s holiday shopping season is likely to be Saturday, Dec. 17. But what about shoppers who want to avoid the crowds? According to RetailNext Inc., Tuesday, Nov. 29 will afford the widest berths in malls and stores.