Research Topic

Tensator study: Retailers need to improve in-store experience
Bay Shore, N.Y. -- Consumers are growing disenchanted by the physical shopping experience, with 63% admitting they prefer to shop online, according to a study by Tensator Group. Eighty-percent of shoppers have used a store to view a product before purchasing online, the report found. And 68% admitted to using their phone to check the price of an item online before deciding whether to purchase in-store.
BDO USA: Retailers bullish on holiday, cautious on inventory; jobs top concern
Chicago -- The marketing chiefs of U.S. retailers are optimistic about the upcoming holiday season, forecasting a solid 4.1% increase in overall holiday store sales, according to a recent BDO USA survey. The projection is in line with the National Retail Federation’s 4.1% expected holiday sales increase, and is a full percentage point higher than actual retail sales gains in the 2013 season.

Study: Shrink costs U.S. retailers $42 billion; employee theft tops shoplifting

Thorofare, N.J. -- Shrink—including shoplifting, employee or supplier fraud and administrative errors—cost the global retail industry more than $128 billion last year, with $42 billion lost in the United States alone, according to the latest Global Retail Theft Barometer study. This represents 1.29% of retail sales, on average.
SAP: Consumers say “shared values" drive brand loyalty

Walldorf, Germany -- Nearly one-third of consumers say "shared values" as a reason they are loyal to a brand. According to an SAP survey of 3,000 American consumers age 18 and older, while email was cited as the most popular way to communicate with companies, almost half of customers (48%) said they had problems with delayed or no responses to email More than half of those surveyed (54%) would like, or may like, an offer of help before they have to ask for it.
Yelp: Eight in 10 Americans will shop local during holidays

San Francisco -- Eight in ten Americans are likely to shop at local businesses during the upcoming holiday season, according to a 2014 nationwide Nielsen survey commissioned by Yelp. Nearly half (47%) plan to spend more than $100 at local businesses.
Walgreens same-store sales rise 5.6%

Deerfield, Ill. -– Same-store sales at Walgreen Co. grew 5.6% in October. Total sales were $6.8 billion, an increase of 6.9% from $6.36 billion for the same month in fiscal 2014. Total front-end sales increased 2.7% in October compared with the same month in fiscal 2014, while same-store front-end sales increased 2%.
Study: Electronic gift cards gain popularity

New York –- Six in 10 (59%) gift cards are now offered electronically, up 18 percentage points from 2010. According to a new Bankrate.com study, part of the reason may be that Millennials are more than twice as likely to lose traditional plastic gift cards than older adults.
Study: Wearable Technology Will Upend Retail

Wearable technology is ripe for growth — especially among millennials, according to PwC’s “Consumer Intelligence Series – The Wearable Future” report. Twenty percent of American adults already own a wearable device, and the adoption rate — on par with tablets in 2012 — is quickly expected to rise.
Eloquii’s Fast-Fashion Take on Plus Sizes

Fast-fashion for plus-sized women: That’s what eloquii.com is on a mission to deliver. While a retail format that offers runway-inspired looks for shoppers sized 14 to 24 is a no-brainer, the concept is practically radical in fast-fashion retailing.
Live from New York: SuperSaturday showcases RetailROI, top retail trends

Anyone planning to attend the NRF Convention Jan. 11-14, 2015, should consider arriving one day early to attend another event that is chock-full of information and industry expertise: SuperSaturday. Each year, RetailROI independently offers SuperSaturday, a one-day event held the Saturday before the official Sunday kickoff to the NRF Convention.

This year, SuperSaturday falls on Jan. 10. Held at the PwC Auditorium in Manhattan from 8 a.m.
U.S. households plan to spend an average of $538 on gifts this holiday season

New York -- U.S. households plan to spend an average of $538 on gifts this holiday season, up slightly from $528 last year, The Conference Board reports today. About 8% of consumers say they plan to spend more this year on holiday gifts, while approximately 32% plan to spend less. The remaining 60% plan to spend about the same as last year.
PwC: Retail and consumer mega deals hits seven year high in Q3

New York -- Retail and consumer merger and acquisition activity in the United States during the third quarter of 2014 was driven by the highest volume of mega deals (deals with a value of over $1 billion) in at least seven years, leading to overall transaction value jumping significantly during the quarter when compared to the year ago period, according to PwC’s U.S. retail and consumer deals insights Q3 2014 report.