Research Topic

New York — More consumers (40%) say they plan to shop on Cyber Monday than Black Friday (36%). According to a new survey of 1,000 consumers from Verizon Wireless and KRC Research, people in the West (39%) are most likely to go shopping on Cyber Monday compared to other regions (33% Northeast, 36% South, 36% Midwest).

Washington - The Conference Board said Tuesday that consumer confidence in November fell to a reading of 88.7, down from a revised 94.1 in October. The drop, which surprised analysts, put the index at its lowest level since June.   "Consumer confidence retreated in November, primarily due to reduced optimism in the short-term outlook,” said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators, Conference Board.  

New York - Manhattan’s high-profile Fifth Avenue, at a whopping $3,550 per sq. ft., and Hong Kong’s Queen’s Road Central, at $2,073 per sq. ft., stand out as the most expensive retail rents in the world, according to Colliers International. Rounding out the top five are Hong Kong’s Canton Road, Manhattan’s Madison Avenue and Paris’ Champs Elysees. (See end of story for a more complete list.)  

Cambridge, Mass. — New customers whose first transaction involves a discount or special offer are 50% less likely to return to make a second purchase. According to a new study from loyalty technology provider Coherent Path Inc., customers who visit an e-commerce site for the first time and make a purchase at full-price are more than twice as likely to make a second visit.   

New York has unseated Hong Kong for the dubious distinction as the world’s most expensive shopping destination, according to a fascinating new report examining 330 markets worldwide.

Cyber Monday may just as well be an official holiday considering  findings of a new study that show how little work actually gets done.

New York — More than half of consumers are either unsure or not confident at all in the security of their personal information when shopping both in-store (58%) and online (63%), which could impact holiday shopping, according to a new survey by KPMG.  Twenty-seven percent of of respondents indicate they will only shop at a store that previously experienced a cyberattack if they cannot find the product elsewhere, with 8% refusing to shop at these stores all together. 
 

When was the last time you heard someone say, without a trace of irony, that a big-box store helped them get through the day?

Twenty-five years ago, Ray Oldenburg published “The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts and How They Get You Through the Day.” Oldenburg, an urban sociologist, explained how certain stores were more than just places to shop.