Research Topic

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation (NRF) is calling the short-term budget deal reached by Congress on Dec. 10 a step in the right direction for the economy and for retailers. In a prepared statement, Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the NRF, said legislators must move past partisan differences to resolve lingering fiscal issues.

Boston -- Target was the most-browsed mobile app/site in 2013, and Apple’s mobile app/site is where consumers purchase the most, according to a new study from Mobiquity.

New York -- Identified as a 2014 industry bellwether, this year’s New York National Conference and Deal Making is up 15% over last year, with some 7,000 people in attendance, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

The increase bodes well for next year, according to Michael P. Kercheval, president and CEO. When attendance is up, he said, the industry grows the following year. When it’s down, a decline has always followed.

At Michaels, a higher gross profit, partially driven by improved merchandise margin, helped to increase its net income for the third quarter ended Nov. 2.

The company’s net income during the quarter soared 66%, rising to $58 million from $35 million in the prior-year quarter. Net sales grew 10%, to $1.1 billion from $1.01 billion. Meanwhile, same-store sales increased 7.9%, driven by a 3.9% increase in transactions and a 3.8% increase in the company's average ticket in addition to a 20 basis point positive impact from deferred custom framing revenue.

Charleston, S.C. -- After a successful extended Black Friday and another week in the stores, a healthy proportion of holiday shoppers are well on their way to being finished with their gift buying, according to the America’s Research Group and Inmar Holiday Shopping Survey.

Retailers and manufacturers targeting Gen X and Y shoppers this holiday season should introduce more transparency into their product labels and identify fair trade, conflict-free and environmentally friendly practices.

Results of a new survey by KPMG LLP reveal that nearly 70% of consumers younger than age 30 consider social issues such as sustainability, human rights and fair trade before making a purchase. This outpaces the fewer than 50% of consumers overall who feel the same way.

New York -- Retailers and manufacturers targeting Gen X and Y shoppers this holiday season should introduce more transparency into their product labels and identify fair trade, conflict-free and environmentally friendly practices. Results of a new survey by KPMG LLP reveal that nearly 70% of consumers younger than age 30 consider social issues such as sustainability, human rights and fair trade before making a purchase. This outpaces the less than 50% of consumers overall who feel the same way.

The American Wholesale Marketers Association announced that sociologist and women's work expert Marianne Cooper will be the keynote speaker at the AWMA Women's Leadership Initiative Kickoff Breakfast, to be held on Feb. 27 at the 2014 AWMA Marketplace and Solutions Expo in Las Vegas.