Research Topic

Indianapolis -- More than eight in 10 (83%) of holiday shoppers will shop at the mall during the 2014 holiday season, and that percentage climbs to 89% of millennial shoppers age 18-33. According to the new "2014 Holiday Shopping Behavior Survey" from Simon, nearly nine in 10 (87%) respondents agree that "malls have the latest and hottest fashion and styles of the season."   

San Francisco –- Compared to non-users, Twitter users start holiday shopping earlier, spend more and are more prone to impulse purchases. According to a new study conducted by brand research firm DB5 for Twitter, more than a third (34%) of Twitter users have already begun thinking about holiday shopping, and 81% say they love holiday shopping, compared to 56% of non-users.  

Waterbury, Conn. –- Likely spurred by back-to-school needs, consumers increased their spending on books 13% in the third quarter of 2014 compared to the same quarter the prior year. According to the quarterly Chase Freedom Lifestyle Index quarterly barometer of consumer trends based on aggregated Chase Freedom cardholder spending data, spending at craft stores (up 7%) also rose significantly in the quarter.  

By Craig Johnson, Customer Growth Partners   With a third straight year of dismal retail spending, American consumers will generate only a lackluster 3.4% year-over-year increase in holiday sales, well below the 5% pace in 2010 and 2011, according to Customer Growth Partners’ 14th Annual Holiday Forecast.   

Rockville, Md. -- Online grocery shopping sales will grow roughly fourfold from about $23 billion in 2014 (accounting for 3.5% of total online and offline grocery spending) to approach $100 billion by 2019 (capturing 12% of total grocery spending). Market research publisher Packaged Facts forecasts that online grocery service providers will develop models that solve logistics problems while being profitable for the operators.   

Pittsburgh –- GNC Holdings Inc. reported a decrease in profit for the third quarter of fiscal 2014 but still beat Wall Street expectations. Net income totaled $64.3 million, down 13% from $73 million the same quarter a year earlier.  

New York –- Holiday spending among U.S. consumers is expected to rise 1.9% in 2014 compared to the prior year. According to the 2014 Nielsen Holiday Retail Sales Forecast, which surveyed more than 25,000 demographically representative American households in September, 25% of respondents had already started holiday shopping in September.