Data & Analytics

Nordstrom is launching a new national marketing campaign withprint, digital and video components as the retailer seeks to improve its connection with younger customers.

A new study of the retail habits of Generations Y and Z shows that the different age groups differ when it comes to using computers for online purchases versus shopping at brick-and-mortar stores.

A new GfK survey revelaled that Baby Boomers have been slower to adopt the smartphone as a shopping device. But when it comes to making purchases with a desktop or laptop computer, Boomers registered similar levels to Generation Y (40% and 43% respectively), while Gen Z came in at just 32%.

Retailers may find themselves banished to the Island of the Misfit Toys if they do not improve their handling of returned holiday purchases.

According to new data from Kurt Salmon, it took an average of 13.3 days for retailers to credit returns to accounts during the 2015 holiday season. This marked an improvement from the prior year’s 16.8 days, but still far from customers’ expectation of about seven days.

Amazon.com has been typically tight-lipped about the performance of its Handmade at Amazon online arts and crafts marketplace since its October 2015 launch. However, Amazon has shared some exclusive early results with TheStreet. Find out if Etsy needs to be worried. [TheStreet]

A first-of-it-kinds promotion involving Dick’s Sporting Goods and highlighting the capabilities of the UbeRUSH delivery service vows to have championship T-shirts in the hands of Carolina Panthers or Denver Broncos fans less than two hours after the Super Bowl ends.

Kirkland's says weather kept shoppers away from stores in January, but the home furnishings retailer still reported a slight increase in same-store sales for the fourth quarter.

For the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30, net sales increased 11.4% to $199 million compared with $178.7 million for prior year quarter. Same-store sales, including e-commerce sales, rose 1.3% compared with an increase of 8.2% in the prior-year quarter. Kirkland's opened 12 stores and closed six during the fourth quarter, bringing the total number of stores to 376 at quarter end.

It’s been quite common of late to hear retailers cite warm weather and intense competition as sources of sales weakness, but the prize for originality goes to PriceSmart after the warehouse club operator reported a January same-store sales decline.

While rumors of Amazon launching a chain of physical bookstores seem to be exaggerated, there is no question that pure-play retailers are beginning to make inroads into the brick-and-mortar channel. Over the past couple of years, e-tailers as diverse as Warby Parker, Bonobos and Birchbox have not only opened stores, but committed themselves to expanding in the space.

Here are a few good reasons for virtual enterprises to consider selling items in a “real” environment.

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