Research Topic

NEW YORK — While holiday retail sales will remain flat or only slightly up from last year, emerging consumer buying trends will have significant implications for retailers, according to a new survey from Booz & Co.

CINCINNATI — Consumers continue to be cautious about sharing their personal information, according to an online survey conducted by LoyaltyOne, a global provider of coalition loyalty, customer analytics and loyalty services.

Armonk, N.Y. -- Study results released Tuesday by IBM revealed that while U.S. consumers shopped this July and August, they were not buying clothes and notebooks for their children but rather items for the home.

According to IBM’s findings, the biggest retail gains this back-to-school shopping season came from home goods purchases which increased 30% in July and more than 25% in August over their respective months in 2012.

Chicago -- A study released on Tuesday by BDO USA found that retailers are generally confident that year-end sales will top last year’s. According to the sixth-annual BDO Retail Compass Survey of CFOs, which examined the opinions of 100 leading retail CFOs nationwide, retailers are expecting a 4.5% increase in total 2012 sales.

New York -- The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index, released Tuesday, showed a drop in spending for the second month in a row.

The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

New York -- Survey results released Tuesday by WSL/Strategic Retail found that Canada represents a strong expansion opportunity for U.S. retailers.
 
The “How Canada Shops” research study revealed that 64% of Canadians can still afford to shop beyond the basics – versus half of Americans, who say they cannot.



As new product launches go, Rubbermaid’s Clean & Dry plunger was overshadowed this week by the unveiling of the iPhone 5, depite the innovation it brings to the bathroom cleaning category.

In addition to the Clean & Dry plunger whose key attributes are evident in the name, Rubbermaid also launched the Rubbermaid Bathroom Scrubbers line of cleaning tools. Both products are designed to make bathroom cleaning easier, quicker and more hygienic.

The Home Depot will close its remaining seven big box stores in China, the company announced late yesterday, in order to shift its focus to specialty stores and online offerings in that market.