Data & Analytics

Travel company Thomson’s has debuted its next-generation travel-store concept, at Bluewater shopping center in Kent. Designed by 20.20, the format integrates the latest technology combined with great service to enhance the experience of choosing and booking a vacation.

Chicago -- Rough weather last week prevented many last-minute shoppers from getting to the stores to finish up their holiday purchasing. ShopperTrak reported that for the week of Dec. 16 to Dec. 22, GAFO in-store retail sales decreased by 3.1% from the same week last year. Retail brick-and-mortar shopper traffic decreased by 21.2% compared to the same time period in 2012.

Las Vegas – FacialNetwork.com is releasing a beta app called NameTag for Google Glass. The app can spot a face using Google Glass' camera, send it wirelessly to a server, compare it to millions of records and in seconds return a match complete with a name, additional photos and social media profiles.

Minneapolis – Media reports indicate that Target may have been victimized by hackers based overseas and also has agreed to a credit monitoring deal for New York shoppers and is suffering declining traffic. According to Reuters, sources involved in the current investigation of the Target security breach said investigators are focusing on unidentified hackers from an unidentified foreign location.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. household purchases rose 0.5% in November 2013. According to new figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce, this followed a 0.4% increase in October that was larger than previously reported and is the largest increase since July 2013.

New York – Factors including the permanency of the 2013 payroll tax increase, uneven job creation and uncertainty caused by the autumn partial government shutdown are expected to continue constraining consumer spending in 2014. According to a new economic insight report from Sterne Agee, lower gas prices, a lingering wealth effect from home price appreciation and record highs in equities helped boost holiday spending, but will not be enough to counteract a trend toward weak consumption that has been in place since the beginning of this year.

Columbus, Ohio — Glimcher Realty Trust has acquired Arbor Hills, an upscale, open-air center located in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the main corridor that connects downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan’s main campus. The new center, which opened in August, features 85,000 sq. ft. of leasable space and is approximately 87% leased. Tenants include Anthropologie, Arhaus, lululemon athletica, Madewell and The North Face. The property is expected to average above $500 per square foot in sales.

I’ll hold off on talking about the holiday shopping season in detail until all the numbers are in, but it’s clear that we’ve already learned quite a lot from 2013. In fact, the more I think about this past year the more I think that the holiday numbers aren’t even the most important takeaway. What’s far more interesting to me is what 2013 has to tell us about where we go next. With that in mind, here’s my early take on what 2014 might have in store (and in stores!) for us:

Slow, steady and sustainable growth

We have reached the time of year when everyone wonders whether they made the “naughty” or “nice” list. Here are a few suggestions for omni-channel retailers who want to ensure Santa (and your customers) place you firmly on the nice list.

Recognize Channel Differences and Limitations

E-commerce has redefined the retail shopping experience and shaped the fate of retailers in many sectors. Grocers have been the exception thus far, but that is about to change in a major way.