Consumer Analytics

In recent years, the millennial generation surpassed baby boomers as the largest population of consumers in our country. This shift presents a number of opportunities for retailers to target and build loyalty with a new generation; however, the opportunity also comes with its challenges. One of the greatest of which, is identifying ways to keep brick and mortar locations relevant to a convenience-seeking and highly digital audience.

Louisville, Colo. -- Nordstrom ranked as consumers’ favorite fashion retailer for the third consecutive year, followed by Kohl’s, T.J. Maxx, Macy’s and Dillard’s. That’s according to a study by Market Force Information, a provider of customer intelligence solutions.

Washington, D.C. – An estimated 184 million viewers will watch Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Feb. 1. According to NRF’s Super Bowl Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, average viewer spending will reach a survey high of $77.88, up from $68.27 in 2013.

Total spending is expected to reach $14.3 billion. Young adults ages 18-24 plan on spending an average of $95.92; those ages 25-34 and 35-44, however, will spend slightly more at an average of $101.54 and $102.82, respectively.

New York – Mobile apps have a lot of potential uses, but in 2015 retailers will likely focus on consumer engagement. According to the 2015 E-commerce Industry Outlook report from performance marketing technology company Criteo, 42% of retail executives and ad agencies rank consumer engagement as the primary goal of mobile app strategies.

Other Criteo predictions, based on data insights from billions of online transactions, include:

Fans of Wawa may be excited to learn about the innovative new programs the convenience retail chain has rolled out.

The new initiatives -- the Wawa Mobile App and the Wawa Rewards program -- are now available for free through the App Store for Apple devices and through Google Play for Android devices.

The smallest of small businesses are feeling good about 2015 which is good news for Sam’s Club as it appeals to the key member segment.

Microbusiness owners, defined as companies with five or fewer employees, are feeling better about their ability to maintain or grow their personal income in 2015, according to the Sam’s Club/Gallup Microbusiness Tracker survey of more than 1,000 businesses.

Spokane, Wash. -- Ecova announced it has been selected Chuck E. Cheese’s to provide utility expense and data management services. Ecova will assist the dining and entertainment company in monitoring, understanding and reducing energy use at approximately 525 locations nationwide.

New York - U.S. companies are struggling to keep pace with their customers’ “always on” nature and greater use of digital channels. According to new research from Accenture, 56% of consumers report that the number of brands they consider has increased significantly in the past 10 years, and 46% believe they are more likely to switch providers compared to 10 years ago.

Improved conversion and customer service at Brown Shoe’s Famous Footwear stores are the anticipated benefits of a new merchandise allocation and replenishment solution the company has deployed.

The 1,041 unit Famous Footwear division of Brown Shoe recently announced it had deployed the Q Allocation and Replenishment solution from Minneapolis-based Quantum Retail Technology. The Quantum solution works in conjunction with Famous Footwear’s legacy JDA solution, according to the company, to produce a wide range of benefits.

The popularity of Disney’s Frozen license and a final surge of spending allowed most U.S. toy retailers to grow sales this past holiday season, according to new data from NPD.