Consumer Analytics

Menlo Park, Calif. – Facebook is preparing a move from Instagram advertising to actual Instagram commerce.

In a call with investors, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said that the social media giant would roll out the ability to purchase items directly from Instagram ads as part of an expansion of Instagram ad formats.

Online home furnishings retailer Wayfair is partnering with Sherwin-Williams on a digital tool that aims to help shoppers plan and execute their DIY projects.

Wayfair.com plans to launch a Restore & Renew DIY Hub: a custom-designed online resource that features four Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands, including Purdy, Krylon, Thompson’s WaterSeal and Minwax, with exclusive content that will help consumers bring their DIY projects to life. 

For the first time in history, business and consumers can be robbed and conned by strangers who are thousands of miles away and nearly impossible to catch. The e-commerce ecosystem is clearly struggling to cope with all the new and multiplying forms of fraud.

New York -- A recent study shatters several myths about the largest generation of young people since the baby boomers: millennials.

“At 79 million strong, the millennial generation has a tremendous amount of spending power that is growing rapidly,” said Robert Tomei, IRI’s president of consumer and shopper marketing.

Tomei said he sees a lot of potential for marketing growth.

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Social media and search engines are two of the most popular online destinations, but are heading in different directions when it comes to customer satisfaction. According to new data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), social media’s index score climbed 4% to a score of 74 on a 100-point scale.
    

Customer expectations of the store have changed dramatically in the last few years as constant connectivity has changed the way consumers live their lives. Johann Wrede, senior director of solution marketing for SAP, recently discussed the evolution of the in-store experience with Chain Store Age.

1. How have customer expectations for the in-store experience changed in the last few years?

New York – Although overall back-to-school shopping is starting later in 2015 than the prior year, online back-to-school shoppers are getting an earlier start than their brick-and-mortar counterparts. According to a new trend report on back-to-school shopping from Internet marketing agency PM Digital, 30% of online shoppers will start buying back-to-school items at least two months before school starts, compared to 22% of overall shoppers.

Pleasanton, Calif. - Shoppers are using a larger variety of payment options with digital and mobile payments serving as supplements to the traditional cash and card-based payments tools. According to a new study of 1,000 consumers released by Blackhawk Network, while 93% of consumers still use cash; 68% use debit cards; 62% use PayPal and 14% have made mobile payments on smartphones or tablets.