Research Topic

Consumer trend data shows that more than half of digital shoppers will use one specific channel for making purchases at least once within a year.

According to a new report from eMarketer, 95.1 million Americans ages 14 and older, or 51% of digital buyers, will make at least one purchase via a smartphone during 2017. This figure will rise to 55% by 2020.

Offering a high-quality, seamless digital shopping experience is no longer a competitive differentiator, but a competitive necessity.

This is the main finding of a new study from Kibo (the new company created from the merger of MarketLive, Shopatron and Fiverun), “The Digitally Demanding Consumer.” The survey of 3,000 U.S. and U.K. consumers shows a high degree of omnichannel activity. Sixty-two percent of U.S. shoppers perform online research before visiting a store, and 80% of all respondents prefer to buy online and have products shipped home.

Twenty-nine new products were recognized as “Product of the Year,” at a gala event in New York recently, but earning that distinction comes at a hefty price and leveraging it as part of a marketing effort costs even more.

For the fourth consecutive year, a department store has nabbed the top spot in a survey of the nation’s favorite fashion retailers.

Nordstrom took the top spot in the study, by Market Force Information. Interestingly, several discount retailers moved up the list this year, with Marshalls landing in the No. 2 spot. H&M and Ross Dress for Less tied for third, Kohl’s was fourth and Macy’s was fifth.

For the fourth consecutive year, a department store has nabbed the top spot in a survey of the nation’s favorite fashion retailers.

Nordstrom took the top spot in the study, by Market Force Information.  Interestingly, severak discount retailers moved up the list this year, with Marshalls landing in the No. 2 spot. H&M and Ross Dress for Less tied for third, Kohl’s was fourth and Macy’s was fifth.  

With its share price in free fall after badly missing analysts’ fourth quarter profit estimate, Amazon.com has decided to spend billions buying back its own shares.

Amazon.com disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it named a new board member and its board authorized the company to repurchase up to $5 billion worth of the company’s common stock. The new authorization replaces an existing $2 billion authorization that was approved in 2010, of which only $1.237 had been expended.

Consumers know about Apple Pay, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are conducting mobile payments with it.

According to a December 2015 survey of 1,300 U.S. household financial decision-makers, including 580 iPhone 6 users, conducted by First Annapolis Consulting Inc. awareness of Apple Pay is quite high. Among all survey respondents, 73% have heard of Apple Pay, while awareness jumps up to 84% for the sub-group of iPhone 6 owners.

Retail industry sales will grow an estimated 3.1% in 2016, outpacing the 10 year industry average, as economic headwinds diminish, according to a forecast released by the National Retail Federation.

The NRF sales forecast of 3.1% excludes automobiles, gas stations and restaurants and exceeds the 10 year growth rate of 2.7%. Non-store retail sales are forecast to growth between 6% and 9%.