Research Topic

New York - The volume of emails sent by marketers increased nearly 13% during the 2013 holiday season compared with the 2012 holiday season, which also saw record highs in volume. Data from Experian Marketing Services shows that while email click-through rates and transaction metrics decreased year over year, the increase in email volume led to a 9% rise in the number of total transactions from email marketing campaigns and an 18.4% increase in overall revenue.

San Francisco -- With an average global click-through rate of 2.33% and an average global conversion rate of 4.07%, retailers achieved a six-to-one return on ad spend (ROAS) for paid search during the 2013 holiday season. According to a new report from digital marketing technology provider Kenshoo, during the 2013 holiday season, mobile devices accounted for one of every three paid search clicks, up nearly 28% year-over-year (YoY).

Minneapolis – Best Buy Co., Inc. saw its revenues for the nine-week holiday period ended Jan. 4, 2014 fall 2.5% from the same period a year earlier. Holiday revenues for the 2013 season were $11.45 billion, compared to $11.75 billion in the 2012 season.

Consolidated same-store sales only grew 0.1%, although online sales increased 23.5%. Best Buy cited a more intense than expected promotional pricing environment as a key factor in its disappointing holiday results.

Successful leaders and companies bring more than unique products or services to market — they consistently tap into 10 key growth enablers outlined in a new book by veteran CPG executive and growth strategist Dan Mack.

DALLAS — Incontinence can hamper the lives of even the most on-the-go, social consumers. Kimberly-Clark's Depend brand has a discreet solution that will help administer a fresh boost of confidence on a daily basis: the brand's new Fit-Flex protection will allow men and women to be as active as they want to be without fear of embarrassment. 

Campbell Soup Company is marking the 80th birthday of its iconic Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle soup.

Originally launched as Campbell’s Condensed “Noodle with Chicken” soup, it was the first soup of its kind and is still going strong after nearly a century. According to the company, Americans purchased more than 200 million cans of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup in 2013.

Marketers sent a record volume of email during the holidays and although overall open rates declined, the record level of email marketing activity produced transactions and sales growth, according to Experian Marketing Services.

New York -- Almost seven-in-10 consumers surveyed expect to make more money, save more money and afford things they need in 2014, according to RetailMeNot’s 2014 Shoppers Trend Forecast. 

King of Prussia, Pa. -- Rigid technology can be a prohibitor in omnichannel growth, especially for mid-market retailers, according to a new study by eBay Enterprise. The report, 2014 Omnichannel Benchmark Study, found that that mid-sized retailers are behind their larger competitors in implementing omnichannel experiences and inflexible technology is the biggest factor in prohibiting retailer maturity and growth.

Other key findings include:

By Gerard Loosschilder and Juan Tello, Skim