Data & Analytics

Shoppers keep spending in check in August
Retail sales fell more than expected in August after a strong June and a relatively flat July. The National Retail Federation said that retail sales, excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants, were down 0.3% over July. On a year-over-year basis, however, NRF calculates that retail sales increased 4.1%. The slowdown in August was broad-based and, notably, there was a drop-off in non-store sales, NRF noted. Clothing sales increased 0.7% in August, driven by back-to-school shopping.
Study: Retailers get a failing grade with social customer care
How do industry observers rate retail social customer care? #EpicFail. The term social customer care refers to the quick and personalized customer service brands are expected to provide through social media once a customer engages with them to resolve an issue. To date, 92.5% of brands are failing to meet customers' social customer care expectations, according to the “Social Customer Care Report,” from Rational Interaction.

Report: It’s beginning to look a lot like a digital Christmas

Uncertainty among the upcoming presidential election is not dampening holiday sales outlooks. Indeed, retailers need to be ready to present their holiday best as U.S.-based retail performance over the November through December holiday period is expected to see a 3.2% year-over-year (YoY) lift in sales. This jump is driven partly by a 14.9% increase in YoY sales through digital channels, according to new data from RetailNext.
Moody’s: Walmart, Best Buy leading charge against Amazon

Brick-and-mortar retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy are not only surviving online, but are thriving due to their sizable physical assets and digital investments. That’s one of the main findings of a new report by Moody's Investors Service, which says that while Amazon keeps raising the stakes online and has a decade-plus advantage over other retailers in e-commerce, it still faces intense competition from the likes of Walmart and Best Buy, who are raising the bar online for other physical merchants.
Retail vet joins Talbots’ board

The Talbots announced that Michael Weiss, longtime CEO of Express, has joined the Talbots board of directors, effective Sept. 1, 2012. Weiss held various leadership roles at Express, most recently serving from 2007 to 2015 as chairman, president and CEO. He joined Limited Brands in 1981 as the merchandise manager for an eight-store experimental division that became Express.
Dollar General in hiring push

Dollar General announced a major hiring initiative to support its continued expansion. The discounter said that within the next month it intends to hire 10,000 new employees to support planned store openings and fill current vacancies. The chain will hold approximately 600 localized hiring events through September. It is looking to hire both full-time and part-time positions, including store managers, assistant store managers, lead sales associates and store associates.
Report: Get ready for most demanding consumers in history

The first generation to grow up online — Gen Z— is also poised to rank as the most demanding consumer group in history.

That’s according to a new report from Fung Global Retail & Technology, which warns that retailers, restaurants and leisure companies will have to adapt to the wants and needs of Gen Zers (refers to those born in 2001 and later.
Whole Foods’ new store format has digital foundation

Whole Foods Market opened its third store under its new banner, 365 by Whole Foods Market, on Wednesday, in Bellevue, Washington.

The 30,000-sq.-ft. store boasts a strong digital presence, reported GeekWire, from digital signage to digital scales.
2016 Holiday Preview: Calendar shifts could benefit retailers

It’s no secret that online shopping and changing consumer preferences continue to impact physical retail traffic. Despite the shifting landscape, retail sales remain largely intact and, more importantly, are expected to increase year-over-year this holiday season.

November and December (NRF weeks 40 – 48) are known as primetime for physical retailers. Sales generated during this period immediately impact a brands’ bottom line, and they set the stage for either success or struggle in the first quarter of the following year.
Startups Spotlight: Holograms Are Coming to a Store Near You

If you think holograms are a thing of the future, then the future has arrived. Innovative companies are developing solutions that leverage holographic displays to attract and engage distracted customers. Another startup is riding the customization bandwagon to deliver perfectly fitting denim, while still others are offering ways to improve your loyalty program, make in-store checkout as painless as possible, and deliver consumer insights that are fresh — not five months old.
Report: Digital-influenced in-store spending keeps rising

Despite an increase in digitally-influenced retail spending, a gap still remains between retailers and digital shoppers.

Digital interactions influence 56 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores, totaling $2.1 trillion by the end of the year – up from 14 cents of every dollar in 2013, according to Deloitte's new study, “The New Digital Divide: The Future of Digital Influence in Retail.”
Report: Digital-influenced in-store spending keeps rising

Despite an increase in digitally-influenced retail spending, a gap still remains between retailers and digital shoppers.

Digital interactions influence 56 cents of every dollar spent in retail stores, totaling $2.1 trillion by the end of the year – up from 14 cents of every dollar in 2013, according to Deloitte's new study, “The New Digital Divide: The Future of Digital Influence in Retail.”