Research Topic

ECRM compared retail circular advertising in March 2013 versus March 2014 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains. H.E.B. and Publix topped the charts in circular page change, with increases of 27.8% and 41.2%, respectively. The massive increase at Publix was attributable to the release of an additional circular this March (five versus four in 2013), while H.E.B. simply ran more pages in each of its five March circulars (eight to 12 pages each this year, as opposed to six to eight last year).

Washington, D.C. -- Import volume at major U.S. retail container ports is expected to increase 6.1% in April 2014, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.26 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) in February 2014, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

New York -- Verve Mobile, a provider of in-store mobile advertising technology, and RetailNext, an in-store analytics solutions vendor, are launching a partnership to bring the combined power of location-based advertising and in-store analytics to brick-and-mortar retail customers. Now with the combined capabilities of Verve and RetailNext, retailers using the technologies can leverage a full range of tools that enhance their ability to see how location-targeted mobile advertising is correlated to driving foot traffic and sales.

One of the most fascinating developments over the last several years in our industry has been the explosion of new and different types of dining concepts. And it’s not only the restaurants chains evolving and emerging, but also about the way that dining preferences are changing.

New York – While a majority of the most popular prepaid debit cards charge monthly fees, specific fee structures vary widely. According to a study of 30 of the most widely held prepaid debit cards conducted by Bankrate.com, 83% of the prepaid cards surveyed charge monthly fees, but 33% will waive them, typically based upon the amount loaded onto the card.

Marshalls wanted to see how confident women are and asked 1,000 women if they have ever held themselves back due to a lack of confidence.

The retailer found that three out of four women (75%) have said no to an activity or opportunity due to lack of confidence. Marshalls enlisted the help of celebrity stylist Elizabeth Stewart and body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass to provide confidence boosting tips to help women say yes more often “in fashion and in life.”

New York -- The month of March saw a steep rise in smartphone-generated traffic, orders, and revenue by consumers to retailer smartphone-optimized websites over the year-ago period, according to mobile commerce platform Branding Brand. In March 2014, smartphones generated 29.4% of total online visits, up 42.7% from March 2013 (62.9% iOS, 36.4% Android). The market share of non-mobile (desktop) visits decreased 21.1% from March 2013 to March 2014.

Washington, D.C. -- Retail employment increased 18,200 in March and 229,000 year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation. The increase is consistent with recent positive economic indicator reports and bodes well for income and consumer confidence as the industry enters into the busy spring selling season.