Research Topic

Study: Out-of-stocks — in store and online — a growing problem
Consumers are experiencing frequent out-of-stocks, and retailers will be out of luck if they don’t do something about it.

According to a new survey from GT Nexus and YouGov, 75% of U.S. adults have suffered from an unavailable product in-store in the last 12 months.
Ross Dress for Less opens 274th California store Oct. 10
Ross Dress for Less will open a new store in Redlands, California on Oct. 10. The 24,000-sq.-ft. relocation is in Mountain Grove at Citrus Plaza, and is being moved from its previous location at Tri-City Center.

With this location, Ross will operate 274 stores in its largest state. The opening is part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.

The world’s most valuable brands are …

For the third consecutive year, Apple and Google came out on top in a ranking of the 100 most valuable brands in the world.
The world’s most valuable brands are…

For the third consecutive year, Apple and Google came out on top in a ranking of the 100 most valuable brands in the world.

Valued at a whopping $170.3 billion in Interbrand’s 16th annual Best Global Brands report, Apple increased its brand value by 43% over last year. Google, valued at $120.3 billion, increased its value by 12%. (The top 10 brands are listed at the end of this article.)
Amazon commands nearly half of consumers' first product searches

Amazon’s dominance in the $300 billion American e-commerce market is stronger than ever, according to a new survey.

A Survata study commissioned by BloomReach reports that in a survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers, 44% bypass the entire Web and go directly to Amazon first to search for products, compared to 34% who use top search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo!.

As recently as 2012, Forrester found that only 30% of consumers research products on Amazon first.
Amazon.com extends its lead in e-commerce wars

Amazon.com is the No. 1 website for online shoppers in the United States, according to a new survey.

A Survata study commissioned by BloomReach reports that in a survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers, 44% bypass the entire Internet and go directly to Amazon.com first to search for products, compared to 34% who use top search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo!.
New NRF council to serve as premier e-commerce voice in retail

The National Retail Federation has formed a new entity to enhance the strategic value of NRF and the e-commerce, mobile and innovative initiatives that exist within the retail industry.

The members-only Digital Council, powered by NRF’s Shop.org digital division, will support and promote collaboration on digital retail trends and strategies, the development of original research, and educational events and advocacy opportunities in Washington, D.C.
U.S. retailers losing $60 billion a year to fraud

A new survey has revealed some more glum news about shrink in the U.S. retail industry.

The 2015 U.S. Retail Fraud Survey by Retail Knowledge and Volumatic has estimated that U.S. retailers are losing $60 billion a year to shrink -- up from $57 billion last year. And employee theft is the single biggest cause of loss to retailers.
Another reason for shoppers to buy at Container Store

The Container Store attracts a lot of loyal customers, and soon those shoppers will have another reason to buy more closet organizers and kitchen jars, thanks to a partnership with Synchrony Financial.

The retailer announced a new, multi-year agreement with Synchrony Financial to offer a private label credit card program for customers. The card will be available for use in the retailer’s stores and online and is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2016.
U.S. retailers losing up to $60B a year to fraud

A new survey has revealed some more glum news about shrink in the U.S. retail industry.
Study: Are retailers ready for IoT?

Retailers know the Internet of Things (IoT) is coming and will bring significant changes. But their preparedness for it is less certain.
Omnichannel comes of age with new index

The National Retail Federation and e-digital consultancy FitforCommerce have launched a first-of-its-kind Omnichannel Retail Index to help retailers benchmark against industry best practices.