News

Portland, Ore. - U.S. retail firms are confident in their ability to detect data breaches. According to a recent survey of 154 retailers by security solutions provider Tripwire, when asked how quickly their organizations would detect a breach, 42% of respondents said it would take 48 hours, 18% said it would take 72 hours, and 11% said it would take a week.  

Boston – Six-in-10 (59%) Millennial women make product recommendations to share highly positive or negative consumer experiences. However, according to a new survey of 1,100 American women without children born between 1979 and 1993 by Mom Central Consulting, 50% say that reading a bad review online about a business wouldn’t stop them from shopping/visiting.

Boulder, Colo. — Kroger is the highest ranked gasoline retailer for customer satisfaction among American consumers. According to a new study of 5,300 consumers from Market Force Information, Costco and Quik Trip tied for second, Sam’s Club ranked third, and Murphy USA, which operates standalone stations and on-site stations at Walmart Supercenters, was fourth.

Waban, Mass. - After a drop in daily Facebook usage on computers in 2013, U.S. consumers increased their daily use of Facebook, from 42.5% of the population in 2013 to 46.5% in 2014, according to new research by the Temkin Group. The "Social Media Benchmark Study, 2014" examines 10,000 U.S. consumers' use of several different social media sites, on computers and mobile devices, and compares the results to previous studies from 2012 and 2013.

Toronto – New research from loyalty currency management provider Points shows that offering points and miles for everyday purchases is the most effective means of driving consumer loyalty. Points surveyed more than 1,500 loyalty program members from across North America and found that 83% earn points and miles on everyday purchases.

Sidney, Neb. - Cabela’s Inc. has signed an amended credit facility with a consortium of financial institutions led by U.S. Bank. This $775 million, five-year credit facility expands and extends Cabela’s existing $415 million, five-year agreement signed in 2011.

In addition, the facility may be increased to $800 million subject to certain terms and conditions.

New York - Barnes & Noble Inc. plans to spin off its Nook e-reader unit as a separately traded public company from its retail operation by the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2016. The retailer made this decision as its consolidated net loss for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 shrank from $114.8 million to $36.7 million, missing Wall Street estimates.

With buzz phrases like “omnichannel” and “customer disruption” dominating the retail conversation, landlords and tenants attending RECon 2014 in Las Vegas last May made it their mission to ensure that brick-and-mortar remains relevant. ­

When it comes to display merchandise solutions, most retailers are looking for more space and versatility. Uniweb has dedicated itself to providing both since making its debut in 1970. Company president Cindy Davidson discussed general trends in fixturing and what sets Uniweb, which prides itself as a made-in-America manufacturer, apart from the competition.

Smashburger is getting on the right track when it comes to reducing its energy use. The fast-casual, fast-growing better-burger eatery has deployed a Web-based energy management system that helps it identify energy cost-savings while also providing a consistent level of comfort.