Skip to main content

Research Topic

  • The retailer with the best customer experience is…

    Supermarkets and fast-casual restaurant brands took the top positions in an annual ranking of customer experience. Publix, Chick-fil-A, and H-E-B earned top three positions in Temkin Group’s 2017 Temkin Experience Ratings, a cross-industry benchmark of customer experience. Publix had a score of 84%, closely followed by Chick-fil-A and H-E-B, which both scored 83% in the seventh annual rating.

  • Report: New robot controlled by user’s brain

    The newest robots like the way their controllers think.   Rather than relying on touch screens and artificial intelligence, a new “droid” is controlled by a user’s brain responses, according to ReCode.  

  • Costco to hike membership fees

    Costco Wholesale Corp.’s second quarter profit took a hit amid higher costs. And for the first time since 2011, the retailer is raising the cost of entry into its stores.   As of June 1, Costco’s annual fee for individual and business members will increase by $5.00, to $60. The executive membership fee will go up $10, to $120.    Costco’s net income for the quarter, ended Feb. 12, fell 5.7% to $515 million, or $1.17 per share, below Wall Street expectations.  

  • Consumer confidence reaches 15-year high in February

    The Conference Board announced a new high for consumer confidence in February, which reached its highest level since July 2001.   The index now stands at 114.8, up from 111.6 in January.  

  • Survey: Gen Z loves digital shopping tools — and physical stores

    Move over millennials, Gen Z is snapping at your heels. And retailers should take note.    Retailers looking to capture share of wallet and brand loyalty from Gen Z – the most  digitally- and socially-engaged generation to date — need to step up their focus on new ways of engagement. But they also should pay attention to their physical stores.   

  • Report: Target in store renovation push

    In the wake of a disappointing quarter, Target Corp. is making long-term investments in its future.   The discounter plans to spend $7 billion in cash during the next three years as it lowers its prices and invests in its stores, with renovations planned for some 600 locations, reported CNBC.   "We can't capture that market share if we're presenting an old, tired store," Target CEO Brian Cornell said.  

  • NRF takes its case against border adjustment tax to the public

  • Survey: America’s favorite stores are…

    A regional department store, a warehouse giant, a discount supermarket and an online powerhouse rank among the nation’s favorite retailers.    That's according to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, which rates consumers’ satisfaction across six retail industries. The report found that satisfaction with the overall retail trade rise 4.7% in 2016 to a score of 78.3 (on a 100-point scale) an all-time high for the sector.  
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds