Research Topic

Walmart and Hobby Lobby top the retailer list of the first ever annual Faith Equality Index.

Faith Driven Consumer, a group that represents 41 million Christian consumers, has published an index rating the faith compatibility of major brands both in the consumer and entertainment spheres, as well as serving as a voice for this community.

Mega deals worth more than $1 billion drove the U.S. retail and consumer sector’s strong third quarter, according to PwC’s U.S. quarterly R&C Deals Insights report.

During the three-month period ending Sept. 30, 36 deals valued over $50 million were announced for the sector, with deal value up 64% in Q3, accounting for $46.6 billion, compared to $28.4 billion in Q2. Deal volume went up 6% from Q2, but down 36% from Q3 2014.

Exceptional customer service continues to drive growth at Publix Supermarkets, which had strong earnings and same-store sales growth in its third quarter.

Publix sales for the third quarter 2015 totaled $7.8 billion, representing a 6.3% increase from last year. Comparable-store sales for the third quarter of 2015 increased 4.2%.

Every retailer hates online chargebacks, and unusually active chargeback activity is often an indicator of e-commerce fraud.

Risk management firm Chargebacks 911 has identified the U.S. cities in the Northeast where the highest percentage of e-commerce transactions result in a chargeback. Visa and Mastercard have set 1% as acceptable chargeback threshold, and these ZIP codes far exceed that figure.

• 17% chargeback rate: Port Washington, New York (11050)
• 15% chargeback rate: Astoria, New York (11105)

The merger agreement between Walgreens Boots Alliance and Rite Aid must be consummated by Oct. 27, 2016, or the deal is off, according to documents filed to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday. That deadline could be extended to Jan. 27, 2017 under some circumstances, according to the document.

Although social commerce is still relatively new, it appears to be quickly gaining acceptance with consumers.

According to a new survey of more than 1,500 U.S. consumers from Citi Retail Services, social commerce, or the concept of using social media to drive sales, is evolving and growing at a faster pace than all other online channels. And shoppers are buying in.

Retailers, are you prepared for the millennial effect?

Born roughly between 1980 and 2000, millennials, are poised to cause a tidal shift in the retail industry because of their spending power and unique characteristics that greatly influence how and what they purchase. According to Advertising Age, millennials will spend more than $200 billion annually starting in 2017 and $10 trillion in their lifetimes.

“Now Trending” is an exclusive online series to chainstoreage.com, featuring trending topics that impact the retail real estate landscape.

Southeastern Grocers on Thursday announced a significant pricing initiative that addresses exactly what customers need: a $40 million investment into permanent lower prices on the products Winn-Dixie customers buy the most.

Customers stated in a recent survey that “affordable prices” was the most important requirement from a grocery store, so Winn-Dixie is introducing a New Regular Pricing Program that will permanently reduce the prices on more than 1,500 grocery items at all 518 Winn-Dixie stores.

More consumers plan to shop on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday, according to a recent Morpace Omnibus report.

Holiday intentions for U.S. consumers were revealed when the Omnibus data showed that out of 1,001 individuals surveyed, more than 57% plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year, compared to only 35% planning to shop on Black Friday. And of those planning to shop on Black Friday, only 23% will be strictly going to retail locations while another 55% will be shopping both in-store and online.