Research Topic

Safeway plans to exit the Chicago market where it operates 72 supermarkets under the Dominick’s banner by early 2014 after posting third quarter profits that were roughly half those of the comparable period the prior year.
The decision to exit Chicago follows similar move earlier this year when Safeway announced the sale of its Canadian operations.

New York -- Online mobile sales were strong in the third quarter as mobile percentage of online sales increased more than 60% year-over-year. Led by strong gains in home goods and department store, mobile traffic for U. S. retail overall reached almost 32% in the quarter, up more than 50% while online retail sales overall grew close to 10%.

Shopper activity decreased this September, in line with ShopperTrak’s predictions. Total retail store shopper traffic for the month decreased 20.2% compared to August. In a year-over-year comparison, shopper traffic for September 2013 decreased 6.9% compared to the same month last year.

Back-to-school shopping activity that peaked in August slowed as school came back in session. The early Labor Day (Sept. 2) compounded the reduction in September’s shopper activity by combining two normally distinct shopping opportunities into just one.

Dallas – The e-commerce model is still actively evolving in response to changes in the consumer marketplace and technology. David Llamas, former CIO of British department store Harrod’s and an independent executive advisor, described how e-commerce has changed and is still changing during a session at the SAP Retail Forum on Oct. 8.

“In 2007, new e-commerce models like private sales, deals, and mobile commerce emerged,” said Llamas. “They have five times faster growth than traditional e-commerce models.”

San Bruno, Calif. -- Over 35% of respondents received no formal training, and 28% were asked to read a manual or a handbook, according to a recent study of retail store associates by Qumu, a provider of secure multimedia content management and delivery solutions. The survey also revealed that retail employees are looking for improved executive communication to provide them with a greater understanding of company strategy (57%), more connectedness to the company community (47%), and understanding of activity in other stores (46%).

Washington, D.C. -- Some two-thirds of Americans say they support the Federal e-Fairness legislation calling for collection of online sales tax at the time of purchase.

A national poll conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers found that a majority of Americans feel it would be far easier to pay sales or use tax on online purchases at the time-of-purchase. The poll also showed an increase in support among voters for federal legislation that would restore basic free market principles for brick-and-mortar retailers.

New York -- A report by Wall Street Journal revealed that private equity investor Tower Three Partners will sell its final 3.9 million shares in Restoration Hardware Holdings, marking an exit for the buyout firms that acquired the home furnishings retailer in 2008.

Restoration Hardware’s private-equity backers have been cashing out amid a 90% rally in the stock this year, according to the report.

New York -- Amazon remains the world's most trusted retailer despite widespread criticism of its tax affairs and labor disputes.

The Internet giant topped a poll of 30,000 consumers in nine countries although the research by OC&C, unveiled on the closing day of the World Retail Congress, revealed that “its crown has very much slipped.”

Consumers were asked to rank nearly 600 retailers on a range of factors such as trust, value for money, service, product, and multichannel capability.