Data & Analytics

New York - Retailers are preparing for a strong Easter shopping season, with shipments of “Easter” related items up more than 22% from 2013. According to analysis of shipments from December to February (the time when retailers stock their shelves for Easter) from global trade data provider Panjiva shows that U.S. retailers recorded a total of 4,610 Easter-related shipments during this period in 2013-2014, compared to 3,772 in 2012-13.

Cheshunt, U.K. – Philip Clarke, CEO of leading U.K. grocery and general merchandise retailer Tesco plc is publicly resisting calls for his resignation following a 6% decline in annual profits and 3% quarterly drop in U.K. same-store sales. Tesco has reported falling profits for two consecutive years following 20 years of continual profit growth.

By Rodney Mason, CMO, parago

Today, consumers have more information sources to help them make purchasing decisions. Smartphones, tablets, social media and the Internet — combined with traditional shopping channels like magazines and direct mail — means that deal-finding and comparison-shopping methods are almost always at consumers’ fingertips. As a result, shoppers are making their purchases faster.

New York - Online video viewers, compared to non-online video viewers, are more frequent patrons of quick-service restaurants (QSR). A new study from video marketing platform Videology shows that those who watch video were 60% more likely to visit QSRs after hearing about a promotion or seeing an advertisement, regardless of the medium.

Miami - Burger King Corp. is launching AT&T Wi-Fi services for all of its U.S. restaurants. The upgraded platform, "Whopper Wi-Fi,” replaces and upgrades current restaurant Wi-Fi networks.

Benefits of the new, streamlined Wi-Fi platform include customizable set-up and consistent service at all stores.

New York – Despite their reputation as being jaded by branding efforts, a majority of Millennials consider themselves brand-loyal. According to a new survey of Millennial consumers from marketing data provider Adroit Digital, 64% of Millennials are more brand-loyal or as brand-loyal as their parents, with 24% considering themselves to be more brand-loyal than their parents.

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. highlighted its use of technology and innovation to bridge the growing digital world with its physical stores at the company’s annual meeting with investors. In new initiatives, the retailer is expanding its reserve in-store service to all U.S. Gap stores by the end of the second quarter, enabling online and mobile shoppers to now reserve items at more than 1,000 Gap and Banana Republic store locations.

Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot has won an Internet Advertising Competition Award (IAC) for “Best Retail Social Media Campaign” from the Web Marketing Association. The award recognizes Office Depot’s digital campaign supporting back-to-school with Office Depot’s “#Together Against Bullying” collaboration with the band One Direction.