Nielsen: Global perceptions of store brands improve, but share of basket varies by country

November 18, 2014

The Nielsen Global Survey of Private Label polled more than 30,000 Internet respondents in 60 countries to understand how consumer perceptions about…

The best time for online Black Friday shopping? Wednesday night

November 18, 2014

The online versions of these sales typically start many hours earlier and in some cases days before.

Survey says 40 percent of US shoppers feel pressured to overspend this holiday season

November 17, 2014

Among parents with children under the age of 18, this pressure is even greater with 53 percent feeling pressured to overspend.

Holiday shoppers not afraid to buy as Halloween leads strong October spending

November 13, 2014

A Friday Halloween spurred early holiday spending; leisure spending growth is up 4.6 percent; credit and debit spending show healthy increases over September.

Research suggests online retailers lose sales through irrelevant promotions, poor follow-up

November 13, 2014

Survey underscores retail's disconnects: Three quarters of online retailers promote irrelevant products, while others fail to build customer relationships that…

Survey says: 9 out of 10 have been frustrated by self-service tech

November 13, 2014

Many customers report being frustrated by self-service technology; is human interaction still the key to getting customer service right?

Holiday shoppers set to spend more than $31B on gift cards this year

November 13, 2014

According to NRF survey, more than half of buyers cite practicality as reason to buy gift cards as gifts.

One-third of Americans changing their savings plan to spend more this holiday season

November 12, 2014

According to the Holiday Spending and Savings Study conducted by financial services firm Edward Jones, 35 percent of Americans plan to shift their saving and…

Shopping activity rebounded slightly in October, but not enough for year-over-year growth

November 12, 2014

Traffic increased only marginally compared to last year, despite a much better macro-economic environment than last October, and repeat visits were down…

Nearly half of holiday shoppers say they haven't started yet

November 12, 2014

Bargain hunters are holding out for holiday deals, according to a new NRF survey.

An amazing customer service idea: The $5 lifeboat

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

The second-generation owner of a chain of Ace Hardware stores, Tom Glenn, tells an inspiring story about his father, Elder Glenn.

Survey says mobile use to be high this holiday season

November 11, 2014

The report found shoppers are using their phones mostly to compare pricing and read product reviews, but retailers' tech-enabled associates are using mobile…

Half of Americans opposed to stores being open on Thanksgiving

November 11, 2014

Iconic retailer Macy's plans to launch Black Friday shopping at 6 o'clock Thanksgiving evening, down from 8 p.m. last year, and from midnight in 2011. Other…

ARTS announces major update to data model standards

November 11, 2014

The ARTS Operational Data Model is a retail-specific roadmap that allows a company to plan how it organizes and uses its transaction data.

Survey says holiday shoppers will spend more of their budget in-store than online

November 10, 2014

Respondents with incomes less than $100,000 spend more of their total holiday budget in-store than those with higher incomes, 54 percent versus 46 percent.

Index says Walgreens, Amazon, Pizza Hut and eBay have the best retail apps

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

November 7, 2014

Research group ARC 360 has published its report "The State of the U.S. Retail Apps Economy," which aims to identify the best- and worst-performing retail apps…

'Tis the season for insane pricing strategies

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

In times of heavy discounting, retailers are ignoring the power of convenience.

Electronic gift cards gaining popularity, especially among millennials

November 5, 2014

Fifty-nine percent of gift cards are now offered electronically, up 18 percentage points from 2010.

Three-quarters of consumers plan to use their mobile for holiday shopping this year

November 5, 2014

According to a new survey, 82 percent plan to spend the same amount or more on holiday spending as compared to last year, while just 18 percent plan on scaling…

IBM releases holiday shopping forecast, predicts 15-percent growth

November 5, 2014

The biggest increase in online sales is expected on Cyber Monday, predicted to grow 15.8 percent, followed closely by Thanksgiving with a projected increase of…