News

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Amazon remains at the head of the class in terms of customer service, according to the annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction Index released Thursday by customer experience analytics firm ForeSee.

New York City -- A Wednesday report by MarketWatch said that a potential strike by nearly 15,000 dock workers at 14 ports from Boston to Houston beginning on Sunday may derail retailers’ spring selling as well.

New York City -- Research results released Wednesday by Chase found that online holiday shopping sales for the season rose 15.2% year-over-year.

By event, the Chase Holiday Pulse reported that from Black Friday Nov. 23 through Friday, Nov. 30, year-over-year sales increased 22.5% and transactions increased 32.7%.

Chicago -- A report issued Thursday by ShopperTrak found that last-minute shopping activity drove large increases in both retail sales and foot traffic last week.
ShopperTrak reported that for the week ending Dec. 22, sales increased 39.1% and traffic increased 32% compared to the previous week.

Compared to the same week last year, however, retail sales declined 2.5% and foot traffic declined 3.3%.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation on Wednesday was quick to shine a more positive light on holiday sales 2012, suggesting that reports of the worst holiday results since 2008 are not correct.

Matthew Shay, president of the NRF, said he's still predicting a 4.1% increase. "We're still pretty optimistic it's going to be a solid year," Shay said Wednesday on CNBC’s "Squawk on the Street." "We're still going to have year-over-year growth" of 4.1%. But that is down from 5.6% growth last year.

Washington, D.C. -- A report issued Thursday by the Conference Board said that its consumer confidence index fell sharply in December to 65.1 from 75.1 in November, impacted by fears of tax increases and impending government spending cuts.

The fall in confidence is the second straight decline and the lowest level since August.

The survey showed that consumers are slightly more optimistic about current business conditions and hiring. But their outlook for the next six months deteriorated to its lowest level since 2011.

With sales of spices and seasonings on a steady upswing, the 123-year-old McCormick & Company has opened its first-ever retail location. More than a traditional retail outlet, the 3,818-sq.-ft. McCormick World of Flavors is a destination that aims to build brand excitement and demonstrate the company’s leadership in flavor. It showcases McCormick’s complete family of products and brands, which run the gamut from Old Bay to Thai Kitchen.

Some are merchants, with long careers in brick-and-mortar stores. Others are tech trailblazers, using new media to match merchandise and buyers. Others are influencing retail in less direct, but no less significant, ways. All share an ability to create new opportunities and, in their own way, are looking to reinvent the shopping experience. And all wield a great deal of influence in today’s complex retail landscape.

Up until recently, when an Old Chicago restaurant or a Rock Bottom brewery scored a high-traffic, high-performance location, the reason for the success couldn’t be quantified. In order to grow strategically, parent company CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries knew it had to get to the bottom of the site-success formula.

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