Consumer Analytics

Publix, Chick-fil-A, Amazon.com, H-E-B, and BJ's Wholesale Club are the nation’s most trusted retailers, according to an annual survey by the Temkin Group.

The “2016 Temkin Trust Ratings,” based on a study of 10,000 U.S consumers, benchmarks the level of trust that consumers have with 294 companies across 20 industries.

Both the volume of and monetary losses caused by fraudulent transactions have sharply increased in the past year.

According to the “2016 True Cost of Fraud Report” from LexisNexis Risk Solutions, the monthly average of fraudulent transactions has increased 32% to 206 from 156 in 2015. In addition, the monthly average of prevented fraudulent transactions has risen 33% to 236 from 177.

U.S. consumers have named their top grocery chain, and for the first time in four years it isn’t Trader Joe’s.

Findings from an online study of more than 10,000 consumers conducted in February 2016 by Market Force Information revealed that Wegmans is America’s favorite grocery retailer. Wegmans was followed by Publix Super Markets and Trader Joe’s.

Merrillville, Indiana-based membership buying club DirectBuy is hoping mobile visual search capability will help spur growth beyond its 25 brick-and-mortar stores.

“It seems that more members, instead of going to club locations, are browsing and shopping completely online,” Ted Fay, senior director of digital marketing and e-commerce at DirectBuy, said in an interview with Chain Store Age. “We see this as an opportunity to grow our membership base and go places we don’t have a brick-and-mortar store.”

The world’s largest social network has updated its policies regarding branded content and, in so doing, given retailers a new marketing tool.

Facebook is now allowing retailers and other marketers to work with media companies, celebrities and other key “influencers” to place certain types of branded content on its platform.

The world’s largest social network has updated its policies regarding branded content and, in so doing, given retailers a new marketing tool.

Facebook is now allowing retailers and other marketers to work with media companies, celebrities and other key “influencers” to place certain types of branded content on its platform.

Retailers have a way to go in satisfying their customers in several key areas.

The IBM 2016 Global Customer Experience Index (CEI) evaluated 550 brick-and-mortar and pure-play retailers spanning eight different retail segments in 23 countries across the globe. This study revealed that the industry achieved an overall performance score of 40%, a failing grade, when measured against customer satisfaction criteria.

Shoppers may be using EMV-compliant, chip-enabled payment cards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they like them.

Business research firm Field Agent recently conducted an audit of 100 chip processing systems at leading retailers Costco, CVS Health, Home Depot, Kroger, Lowes, Target, Walgreens and Walmart. It also undertook a survey of 300 consumers who use chip cards. In the survey, only 37% of the respondents reported a preference for EMV cards over the swiping variety; 63% said they would rather swipe a card than insert a chip card.