Research Topic

Mobile display advertising continues to surge, and it’s on pace to claim a significant portion of online advertising revenue.   In fact, more than three-quarters of all online display advertising income will stem from mobile by 2020, according to data from analytics provider by IHS Markit.  

Walmart turning up the heat on prices?   The nation’s largest retailer is not going to let grocery competitors, both newer and more established ones, take away its low-price dominance.   The chain is running a price-comparison test in about 1,200 U.S. stores as it looks to close a pricing gap with such rivals as Aldi and Kroger Co., according to a report by pymnts.com.

As teen retailers deal with competition from online as well as off-price and fast-fashion brands, one teen retailer is flourishing — with aggressive store expansion plans.  

Seven out of 10 commercial real estate executives believe that the Trump administration will have a positive impact on their business in 2017.   Seyfarth Shaw, one of the most active real estate law firms in the U.S., polled 151 owners, developers, and brokers and found them bullish on the embattled President. They foresee efforts in deregulation, tax reform, and the potential dismantling of Dodd-Frank as aiding their causes.  

Retailers are increasingly relying on mobility for customer engagement, however their marketing strategies are lagging.    The fourth quarter 2016 marked the first time mobile engagement has trended down as the mobile click-to-open (CTO) rate declined by 12.6% quarter-over-quarter, and 14.4% year-over-year, according “Q4 2016 Email Benchmark Report: The Mobile Engagement Shift,” from Yes Lifecycle Marketing.  

The increasing use of smartphones has drastically impacted the consumer's path to purchase — and the momentum continues.   Most online U.S. consumers (60%) now use mobile technology for shopping, and two thirds (67%) searched online for additional product information, according to “The Consumer Technology Association's (CTA) Path to Purchase Using Mobile Devices Market Research report.”  

Retailers shouldn’t expect consumer tax refunds to equate into a sales boom anytime soon.   A record low number of Americans will spend their tax returns this year, while the second-highest number on record will put the money into savings, according to the annual tax return survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The study, which is based on responses from 7,609 consumers, was conducted Feb. 1 - Feb. 8.  

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.