Research Topic

Inefficient staffing processes and lack of adequate workforce engagement tools are causing retailers to leave money on the table.   That’s according to new survey by Workjam, which found that only 17% of retail managers feel their stores’ hourly associates are very motivated and engaged. As a result, 47% of the managers say at least 5% of their staff quit in an average three-month period.  

The surge in home improvement projects is helping fuel sales at The Tile Shop.    Tile Shop Holdings Inc. on Tuesday reported third-quarter profit of $4.6 million for the third quarter, ended Sept. 30. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 10 cents per share.   The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 9 cents per share.  

Digital disruptors continue to impact the shopping experience, and augmented reality (AR) is no exception.   Specifically, 61% of customers reported that augmented reality has influenced where they decide to shop, according to “The Impact of Augmented Reality in Retail,” a report from Interactions, an experiential marketing firm and division on Daymon. The report, which is based on responses from more than 1,000 Americans, examines how AR has become a part of consumers’ shopping experiences.  

Amazon gave some very special visitors a tour of its top secret drone testing laboratory in Cambridge, England.  

Neil Saunders, CEO of Conlumino, a New York-based retail research agency and consulting firm, offers the following insights on September sales results.  

Thinking about setting up shop between 49th and 60th Streets on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue? Better be prepared to pay big bucks.   The upper part of Fifth Avenue is the most expensive retail street in the world (based on rental value), with rents rising to a whopping $3,500 per square foot in 2015, according to the 27th edition of Cushman & Wakefield’s report, Main Streets Across The World.  

It has been a long haul, but radio frequency identification (RFID) is finally making its bones in retail.   In 2014, 34% of retailers either implemented or were in the process of adding or piloting RFID. Fast-forward to 2016, and those results have doubled to 73%, according to the “Kurt Salmon RFID in Retail Study 2016.”