Research Topic

Study: Shoppers get smart with mobile
Scottsdale, Ariz. – Shoppers keep getting smarter about using their mobile devices.

According to a new study from OneStop Marketing, 83% of mobile users now engage in shopping activities on their phone immediately before, during or after a trip to the store.

In addition, 45% of online traffic during the 2014 holiday season came from mobile but only 20% of sales came from mobile devices, indicating a substantial opportunity to increase mobile conversion rates.
Is the Salesperson Obsolete?
With the explosion of online retail giants like Amazon.com, the new digital economy has turned traditional consumer buying behavior upside down, making your everyday salesperson seemingly obsolete. In fact, according to Invesp, more than 62% of U.S. consumers with Internet access shop online at least once a month and 78% of those shoppers don’t check out a product in-store before buying online.

Now Trending: A Confusing Curriculum

“Now Trending” is an exclusive online series to chainstoreage.com, featuring trending topics that impact the retail real estate landscape.
Millennials choose retailers for different reasons than elders

Los Angeles – Millennial consumers choose retailers based on different criteria than their elders. A survey of more than 13,000 e-commerce shoppers by Bizrate Insights found that millennials are by far the most price-sensitive with low pricing driving their choice of retailer.
NRF ‘astounded’ by Labor Department overtime decision

Washington, D.C. -- The Labor Department is not extending the comment period on the Obama administration’s proposal to expand overtime pay. Its decision drew a no-holds barred response from the nation’s largest retail organization.
Survey: Back-to-school retailers should learn customer service

Cincinnati – Retailers seeking to attract back-to-school shoppers should make sure they are well schooled in the ins and outs of providing good customer service.

A new LoyaltyOne, Verde Group survey of 2,500 U.S. consumers shows that efficient service, more than price or product availability, drives store loyalty and repeat purchases for shoppers with kids younger than 18 at mass merchandise stores such as Walmart, Target and Staples.
America’s most trusted brands revealed

Some surprising differences are revealed in new research from Nielsen about which brands men and women trust the most.

Nielsen released a list of America’s Most Trusted Brands that shows distinct trust difference between men and woman. The ist stemmed from a consumer packaged goods focused wave of the 27th annual Harris Poll EquiTrend study showcasing the top 10 most-trusted brands.
Study: The favorite reward perk is…

Dallas – Consumers show a clear preference for one particular perk from retailer reward programs, and it isn’t cash back.

According to “The Road to Rewards,” a consumer behavior report from Excentus, more than 54% of U.S. consumers polled in July 2015 belong to loyalty programs that enable them to save on the cost of fuel.
IHL: Softgoods retailers prefer these two POS vendors

Franklin, Tenn. – When it comes to their POS systems, specialty softgoods retailers have two clear preferences.
Lack of hit books hits Books-A-Million

Birmingham, Ala. – Books-A-Million needs more best-sellers.

A lack of hit books hit fiscal results of Books-A-Million Inc. during the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Net loss grew to $5.8 million from $3 million the same quarter a year earlier, with costs and expenses rising or staying flat in the face of slipping revenues.

Net sales dipped to $107.9 million, from $108.3 million. Same-store sales dropped 0.3%.
Fred’s losing streak continues

Memphis — Fred’s Inc. remained unprofitable for its fifth consecutive quarter as pharmacy continued to weigh the chain down.

Fred’s reported a bigger-than-expected net loss of $4.9 million in the second quarter, down from $16.4 million for the same period last year.

Reductions in the percent of revenue represented by cost of goods sold and selling, general and administrative expenses helped shrink net loss.

Net sales grew 10%, from $491.18 million to $546.08 million, while same-store sales grew 0.9%.
Destination XL sees more opportunity for expansion

Canton, Mass. — Specialty men’s retailer Destination XL Inc. reported Thursday that it shrank its net loss in the second quarter.

The company also raised its potential store count from 250 to 400. As a result, the retailer expects to open 30 to 40 DXL stores per year through fiscal 2020.

During fiscal 2015, Destination XL plans to open approximately 30 DXL retail and eight DXL outlet stores and close approximately 41 Casual Male XL and three Rochester clothing stores.