Research Topic

Boston - Americans are more likely to subscribe to Amazon Prime for free two- day shipping than for Prime Instant Video, and in the U.S. when they do subscribe, are more likely to use Netflix than Prime Instant Video. According to a new study from global intelligence firm Strategy Analytics, nearly two-thirds (63%) of Amazon Prime subscribers used Netflix in the previous month compared to 59% who used Prime Instant Video.

More and more consumers are motivated by loyalty programs than ever before, according to the 2015 Bond Brand Loyalty Report.

Bond Brand Loyalty’s fifth annual study shows consumers overwhelmingly agree that loyalty programs are worth the effort.

Phoenix – Leslie’s Poolmart Inc. will open 15 new retail locations throughout the U.S. on Thursday, April 9. Cities with new stores will include Auburn, Bakersfield, Ceres, Palmdale; San Mateo and San Rafael, California; Rockledge, St. Augustine and Tallahassee, Florida; Gainesville, Georgia; Glenpool, Oklahoma; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Hudson Oaks, Texas; Queen Creek, Arizona and Monroe, Louisiana.

Jeffersonville, Ind. – Retailers worried that it will take a while for consumers to become comfortable engaging in omnichannel commerce via wearable technology can rest easy.

According to new research from Accent Marketing, half of more than 1,000 consumers surveyed said they would buy wearable tech so brands can send alerts and have more insight into their lifestyle.

And three in four Millennial respondents said they believe wearable technology is a new way for brands to engage consumers. Other key findings include:

Revolving doors can provide measurable ROI for retail and hospitality – way beyond the widely recognized energy savings from reduced air infiltration.  Meet Mark Perkins with Boon Edam, as he discusses revolving-door ROI, branding, the use of existing space, loss prevention and more.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp. is extending its college tuition assistance plan for workers to cover the entire cost of getting an online bachelor's degree. The coffee giant launched the program with Arizona State University in June 2014. At the time, it was limited to juniors and seniors looking to complete their degrees. But in a major expansion of the benefit, Starbucks said it will now cover the full cost of the four-year online degree.

New York -- The United States is the top market for e-commerce, followed by China and the United Kingdom, according to A.T. Kearney’s 2015 Global Retail E-Commerce Index. Although e-commerce remains less than 10% of total retail sales in the United Sates, it has seen consistent growth, and rose by 15% in 2014.

In a column I wrote between Black Friday and Christmas last year, I talked about how “apparel sales have been languishing”, and I mentioned that the “industry buzz is all about the struggles in apparel, where retailers just can’t seem to discount clothing enough to get things to pick up.”