Consumer Analytics

Los Angeles – Shoppers are setting a budget for Mother’s Day spending this year, according to a new survey from PriceGrabber. Results of the 2013 Mother’s Day Survey show that 52% of consumers plan to spend less than $100 on Mother’s Day gifts, with flowers the most popular gift selection.

The survey of 6,824 US online shopping consumers also shows that 23% of shoppers will spend $100-$249, while 12% will spend more than $250 and 13% do not have a budget in mind.
 

WASHINGTON — The NRF Foundation, the careers and education division of the National Retail Federation, has launched the Retail Insight Center — a website designed to serve as a resource for researching industry, government, economic and consumer trends within the retail industry. 

The Retail Insight Center is made possible by a contribution from KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax has launched a new search engine with content and navigation improvements on its OfficeMax WorkplaceSM business-to-business e-commerce site, OfficeMaxWorkplace.com. Since phasing in improvements last month, all aimed to deliver a streamlined online shopping experience, the site has experienced increases in conversion rate, average revenue per visit and positive customer feedback.

Social shopper media firm Collective Bias may have been founded in Walmart’s home town of Bentonville, Ar., but the firm has big plans to help suppliers to Target achieve their social media objectives.

Collective Bias established a presence in Minneapolis last year and more recently tapped Kristen Brown to lead the firm’s growth efforts. Brown spent five years with NPD in the company’s Minneapolis office where she served as retail insights director. She is also a best-selling author and motivational coach.

By Michael W. Maynard,

Englewood, Col. -- The Sports Authority has appointed Paul M. Okimoto as the company’s new chief marketing officer.
 
Okimoto previously served as VP of marketing at RadioShack. He also held positions with the Nielsen Company as VP of corporate marketing and AT&T Wireless as head of integrated marketing communications.  
   

ST. LOUIS — Anheuser-Busch is launching a new advertising campaign that lets Budweiser drinkers track where their beer comes from and how it's made.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Global appliance leader Whirlpool Corporation has launched a line of smart appliances with 6th Sense Live technology. 

The company’s flagship Whirlpool brand is making smart home management a reality in the Chicagoland area with the release of a suite of smart appliances along with a free mysmartappliances app, which is already available in the iTunes app store.