Data & Analytics

Holiday forecast: Higher sales, more online shopping
The holiday shopping frenzy has begun, and it is shaping up to be more digital than ever.

Summer has barely said goodbye, but consumers nationwide have already turned their attention to the holidays. In fact, nearly one third of consumers, and nearly half of parents, began holiday shopping before Labor Day.
eBags’ new airport mantra: ‘Reunited, and it feels so good’
All travelers agree: Lost luggage can ruin any trip.

With an eye on privacy and ease of use, eBags new smart solution hopes to streamline the travel experience. The luggage and travel accessory pure-play retailer has developed an app-enabled ID tag that reunites lost luggage with their owners.

Unlike the traditional luggage tag, which prominently displays the owner's contact information for anyone to see, the eBags Connected Luggage Tag uses patent-pending privacy controls to let customers control which personal information they display on tags, and when.

Report: Digital dictates the majority of in-store purchases

Traditional retailers who think the digital tide can be turned back are deluding themselves, according to the consulting firm’s fourth annual “New Digital Divide” report. With Facebook and Google playing host to hours of commercial interactions with consumers on a daily basis, the classic retail brand’s ability to guide the path to purchase is waning.
Real estate companies rise on sustainability index

North American real estate owners and developers ratcheted up their green profiles markedly this year, though they still lag global trendsetters, according to the latest results of an annual sustainability study. In GRESB’s annual environmental assessment of real estate developers and investment trusts, North American companies averaged a score of 59 out of a possible hundred, a five-point rise from last year and just shy of the global average of 60.
Now Trending: Is it closing time?

I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about an article I read earlier this summer, a piece by Krystina Gustafson that appeared on cnbc.com entitled, “For retailers, closing stores isn't as easy as it once was.”
Mass merchandiser giant launches ‘perks’ program

Target shoppers will be doing real cartwheels next time they launch their discount app.

The mass merchandiser quietly launched an experimental customer loyalty program that allows shoppers to rack up points during store visits. Called “redperks” on the company’s Website, the program rewards Target shoppers with 10 points for every dollar spent in stores. Once shoppers hit 5,000 points, they can choose their reward.
Report: Amazon claims top spot in social ranking

The real retailer winners are those that truly “listen” to their customers, and then use learned details to motivate consumers to shop. By perfecting this practice, Amazon.com has earned the highest amount of mentions and awareness across social networks, and Tiffany & Co. was the most passionately and positively discussed brand.
Study: e-gifts are on the rise

When mobile shoppers care enough to send the very best, they trade Hallmark cards in favor of digital gift cards.
Millennials are no fans of Banana Republic

A new study from RBC Capital reveals that reversing Banana Republic’s ongoing sales decline is not going to be an easy fix for Gap Inc., reported thestreet.com.

In the survey, 48% of millennials polled said they disliked the chain compared to 22% who said they liked it. A majority of non-millennials also said they disliked the brand.
Report: Mobile commerce hits its tipping point

Mobile retailing’s time has arrived. Mobile devices are beginning to dominate the commerce landscape, and retailers ready to capitalize on this trend will be successful at driving transactions for the shopping seasons to follow.
Tiffany names former railway exec as new finance head

Tiffany & Co. has hired Mark Erceg to become its next executive VP and CFO, effective Oct. 18, 206. Erceg, 47, who will be responsible for the company’s worldwide financial, indirect procurement and information technology functions, replaces Tiffany’s former CFO who left the retailer in May. Previously, Erceg was with Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, where he has served as executive VP and CFO since May 2015.
Webinar: How to control energy costs in retail

Retailers can learn how to develop a strategic process for reducing one of their major facility operating expenses — energy — at Chain Store Age’s upcoming webinar, Understanding and Controlling Energy Costs in Retail.