Research Topic

Customers that shop at both Amazon and Whole Foods Market are the most upbeat about the online giant’s purchase of the natural foods grocer.   This was according to a new GfK report that was conducted among 1,000 US adults (ages 18 and above) using KnowledgePanel, the company’s probability-based online panel that represents the adult U.S. population. Responses were collected from June 23-26.  

Prime Day 2017 was Amazon’s biggest event yet. But the shopping marathon took a significant toll on brick-and-mortar traffic.   

Consumers are in search of the latest back-to-school deals and experiences — and hitting their local shopping centers to find them.   This was according to the annual “ICSC Back-to-School Spending” survey. The report from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), which was conducted between July 6-July 9, is based on a sample of 1,010 U.S. adults, 18 years of age and older.   

Softness in larger product categories and unseasonal weather in the Northeast dampened MarineMax’s third quarter earnings.    For the third quarter ended June 30, MarineMax’s revenues declined to $329.8 million from $345.6 million for the same period last year. This missed Wall Street’s expectations of $383.01 million.  

Retailers who fail to promote back-to-college offers and savings this year do so at their own peril.   

Gen Z shoppers are gearing up to hit the stores for back-to-school purchases — and their top destination is Walmart.    Thirty-six percent of boys and girls cite Walmart as their first choice for back-to-school shopping, more than double that of any other retailer, according to a survey conducted by strategic retail advisory firm HRC Retail Advisory.    

Expensive, ineffective loyalty programs are in need of a makeover.   Retailers that shift to digital-centric programs that engage and promote brand advocacy will retain the loyalty of customers, according to the “Intelligence Report: Loyalty 2017.” The report, from L2, evaluates the successes and pitfalls of loyalty programs for 99 consumer brands across activewear, beauty, big box, department stores, and specialty retail.  

  Retailers who frustrate consumers risk brand abandonment.    Almost half of North American and European consumers surveyed by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council say they will abandon a brand if they continuously encounter a poor, impersonal or frustrating customer experience across channels of engagement. The study was undertaken in partnership with SAP Hybris.