Consumer Analytics

Payment card theft continue to wreak havoc on retailers and shoppers, alike.   In fact, the number of debit cards compromised at United States-based ATMs and merchants rose 70% in 2016, while the number of hacked card readers at U.S. ATMs, restaurants and merchants rose 30% — the highest level in the history of the FICO Card Alert Service, which monitors hundreds of thousands of ATMs and other readers in the U.S.  

Having reached a 15-year peak on February, consumer confidence reached a new peak in March, now standing at its highest level in 16 years.   The index's current reading is 125.6, up from 116.1 in February.   “Consumer confidence increased sharply in March to its highest level since December 2000 (Index, 128.6),” said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board.   

Retailers looking for a competitive advantage in these competitive times should consider their restrooms.  

Kroger Co. wants to give its employees a voice — and now they have one.   Eager to highlight the accomplishments, milestones, and personal connections made by its associates, Kroger Co. introduced Krogersteries.com, a website dedicated to its employees’ contributions, and the impact they make on the company.   

Chain Store Age will sponsor a Webinar on one of the most important issues facing store retailers: How to connect emerging solutions and technology disruptors — and take advantage of rich data sets filtering through these systems — to meet new demands across retail operations and the customer experience.     

Jos. A. Banks hopes to better connect with its shoppers during online searches by “speaking their language.”   In its quest to create a more inspiring online experience, especially one that could would make product searches more consistent and relevant, Jos. A. Banks is taking steps to improve its product descriptions. The retailer began this journey by adding the Edgecase Product Intelligence Platform, a solution that helped create more than 60,000 new product values, or attributes, to define online merchandise. 

Consumers feel good about some — but not all — retail technologies.    That’s according to a new study by Oracle, Retail 2025, which reveals that consumers are most willing to engage brands with new technology if they feel that they are in control of their experience.  

State-of-the-art digital screens that can identify demographic information of passersby and pitch them personalized offers from brands are making their way into Westfield malls in top DMAs.   Employing a proprietary suite of technologies, the six-foot-tall, high-definition screens scan passersby and — apparently through smartphone data and facial imaging — determine their demographic profiles to serve them customized ads.