Research Topic

The launch of “buy buttons” in the past year on major social networks like Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter received a lot of attention, but so far they are not catching on with customers.
 
According to Digiday, research firms including Forrester and GlobalWebIndex are finding low consumer usage rates for social buy buttons. Reasons include limited functionality and visibility of the buttons.

 

There are so many cross-currents affecting the retail real estate industry right now that making sense off it all is a daunting challenge. Thankfully, Melina Cordero, head of retail research for the Americas at CBRE, was on hand at RECon to touch some of the mega-trends in this video.

Supermarkets and fast-casual restaurant brands took the top positions in an annual ranking of customer experience.   Publix, Chick-fil-A, and H-E-B earned top three positions in Temkin Group’s 2017 Temkin Experience Ratings, a cross-industry benchmark of customer experience.     Publix had a score of 84%, closely followed by Chick-fil-A and H-E-B, which both scored 83% in the seventh annual rating.  

Taubman Centers COO William Taubman offered insights on shoppers, property trends and how technology is changing the fundamental experience and brand promise of shopping centers.

To watch his wide ranging conversation with ICSC’s Jesse Tron, click here.

 

The retail real estate market will overcome a slow start to the year and finish 2016 in fine fashion, according to JLL’s U.S. Investment Outlook report.
 

Select Comfort continues to expand with the opening of its 500th Sleep Number store.

Located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the new location features the brand’s latest store design and experience, which is interactive and educational. It’s one of 50 net new stores the retailer plans to open in 2016.

When it comes to marketing, retailers should adopt a truly “omnichannel” approach.

According to a new consumer survey from digital marketing firm Fluent, “The Omnichannel Advantage,” consumers who are reached through a greater number of channels make in-store and online purchases from their favorite retailers more frequently.

Recent advances in floor care technology have made matters more complex, as retailers must decide what combination of cleaning procedures provide the best value. Today’s retail Facility Manager must determine the materials (from machinery to matting), the schedule (daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly), and the