Consumer Analytics

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Tocata, a technology innovator in mobile e-commerce, is launching a front-end mobile platform for retailers which allows them to build immersive, revenue-driving mobile shopping experiences that can be deployed on tablets or smartphones, whether as apps or as HTML5. 

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company will start including calorie information on menu boards in all U.S.-based corporate and licensed stores on June 25. The retailer will post calorie counts to accompany each beverage listed on the menu boards, as well as on tags to accompany food in the bakery case. All calorie counts will reflect the item as made by standard recipe and will not include potential extra calories resulting from whipped cream, different types of milk or sweetener, or other customer options.

Boston – Online home furnishings retailer Wayfair.com is launching Inspiration Gallery, a collection of interior design photography that is integrated with the company’s product selection to enable one-stop shopping. Currently in beta, Inspiration Gallery features photos with individual elements that automatically link to online product listings.

A new report from Acosta Sales & Marketing quantifies the extent to which technology usage among shoppers is growing and traditional vehicles are losing their impact to influence retail trips and spending behavior.

Marlborough, Mass. – According to the latest edition of the seasonal “The Why Behind the Buy” report from Acosta Sales & Marketing, consumers are increasing their usage of every digital tool except for email in their shopping activities. Concurrently, consumers are using traditional tools such as coupons and store flyers less frequently.

Specific results include:

Traditional craftsmanship and the latest in technology help make for the perfect fit at The Left Shoe, a new luxury men’s footwear retail concept from Finland. 

Vancouver, B.C. -- Slow websites are a deterrent for customers using mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, according to a report from mobile technology Mobify, which reveals the financial impact of slow loading mobile websites for the world's top 100 online retailers.

Cincinnati -- Retail loyalty programs have seen some impressive growth since 2011, according to results of the latest Colloquy Loyalty Census. In 2013, department stores achieved 70% growth in loyalty program memberships since the 2011 Colloquy Census, far surpassing the 26.7% rate of growth in loyalty programs across all sectors tabulated in the 2013 census. The number of department store loyalty memberships is 193.9 million.