Research Topic

The year 2015 was a big one for mergers and acquisitions in the retail and consumer sectors, with 31 multibillion dollar deals driving activity during the year.

United States retail and consumer (R&C) total transaction value for 2015 hit a five-year high and surpassed the $100 billion mark for the third year in a row, according to PwC’s U.S. retail and consumer deals insights 2015 Year in Review and 2016 Outlook report.

Retailers surely expect to move a lot of salty snacks and beer ahead of Super Bowl Weekend, but candles too?

That’s just one of the more interesting items a new survey reveals as the product categories most impacted by the big game. IRI released data detailing the sales lift of various food, beverage and consumer product categories in the run up to Super Bowl Sunday.

When it comes to e-commerce, the top driver is actually something the experience doesn’t offer.

According to two surveys of online shoppers in the U.S. and Canada conducted by Bizrate Insights, a division of Connexity, in December 2015 and January 2016, a leading 55% of respondents cited the lack of crowds, traffic and hunting for parking as a top reason to buy online. Another 46% said shopping online takes less time than shopping in stores, while 46% also mentioned free shipping.

Despite plummeting fuel prices, the ranks of convenience stores swelled to a record level last year.

The U.S. convenience store count increased to 154,195 stores as of Dec. 31, a 0.9% increase (1,401 stores) from the year prior, according to the 2016 NACS/Nielsen Convenience Industry Store Count.

Slowly but surely, consumers are becoming open to the idea of switching from leather wallets to an electronic version.

Google is being secretive about its “Project Wing” delivery drone program, but a patent filing gives some additional information about the effort. According to Fast Company, Google hopes to use remote wheeled delivery receptacles that will automatically guide drones to drop their packages. The receptacles will then complete the delivery on the ground. [Fast Company]

Slowly but surely, consumers are becoming open to the idea of switching from leather wallets to an electronic version.

According to the new “Let’s Get Digital” consumer survey from Citi Retail Services, digital wallet usage has increased by 20% in the past two years. Thirty-five percent of consumers used digital wallets at the end of 2014, and that figure rose to 55% by the end of the year 2015.

How good is your data?

Seventy-five percent of retailers believe inaccurate data is undermining their ability to provide an excellent customer experience, according to a study by Experian Data Quality.