Holiday Shopper Talk: Shoppers Call Off Black Friday

Holiday Shopper Talk: Shoppers Call Off Black Friday blog banner featuring collage of woman shopping at home on her laptop next to an image of Black Friday mob shoppers
Who’s waiting for Black Friday? Fewer people than last year. Holiday shopping is increasingly becoming an all-season affair, diluting the deal-busting power of Black Friday. This isn’t necessarily bad news – as long as retailers recognize the advantages behind the trend. Here’s what our 2019 Holiday How America Shops® research reveals. This Holiday Season, Any Day ... Read more

3 Ways to Get Voice-Activated Devices to Pay Off (Hint: You Need a Screen)

Blog banner featuring family at home with voice activated device on kitchen counter
Can we talk about voice technology in retail? If retailers are investing in VA technology, they need to be doing so in areas beyond saving time and easy refills. These qualities are building blocks, but growth follows sales, and sales follow browsing. And that browsing must be displayed as well as heard, hands-free. Based on ... Read more

Why the Retail Industry Needs the Rental Generation

Blog banner featuring inside of four stores that use rental systems
There are times when retailers should worry about what’s behind them, and the rental retail economy is ushering in one of those times. The once-fringe movement toward acquiring less “stuff” and instead paying for temporary use of pre-used necessities is rapidly becoming mainstream. And it’s changing retail sales in jewelry, handbags, fashion, electronics, home, auto, ... Read more

Surrounded by Chaos, Shoppers Take Control

Blog banner featuring paneled collage of shoppers activities during pandemic
Harried shoppers are trying to regain power in the areas of their lives where they could, and today that includes shopping trips. Retail brands should give it to them if they want to see higher sales. Based on what shoppers told us, we’ve devised a four-step strategy. Their world is in the grips of chaos, from ... Read more

Are You Speaking Your
Shoppers’ Language?

Blog banner featuring woman with her hand behind her ear leaning towards speech bubbles containing retailer logos
Communication is the basis of a healthy shopper relationship, but lots of retailers that sell similar products communicate in very different ways. Are you getting your message right?  Is it just a Barbie Dreamhouse, or a guarantee of a good night’s sleep? This is how different retailers present one popular toy this holiday season — some ... Read more

Holiday Sales Look Bullish
– But Retailers Should Be Worried

Blog banner featuring glowing rate your experience text and five stars with woman holding shopping bags in the background
By Emily Dougherty, October 21, 2022 ||  BeautyInc. -  A Publication of WWD Women over the age of 50 have been routinely ignored by marketers for decades. Now, though, healthier and wealthier than any generation of women before them, Gen X is coming resolutely into focus. As American women age, they start feeling invisible and undervalued. This ... Read more

Channels are Dead: Meet Retail’s New Agnostic Shoppers

Blog banner featuring tiled image of woman looking at shelves with colorful overlay
Never mind Walmart and Amazon; today’s leading retail competitor might be Any Banner, Anywhere. Most shoppers will buy whatever they need when they need it, wherever they are, thanks to a proliferation of places to shop and products to buy. Here’s how retailers and manufacturers can recalibrate their strategies to capture today’s channel-agnostic shopper. Is ... Read more

Why are 50-plus Women Feeling Ignored in Advertisements?

Blog banner featuring three middle aged women walking with shopping bags and ice cream cones
Nearly 66 million American women are in their 50s and 60s, and many of them make annual incomes of at least $100,000. Yet many feel ignored, because so much attention is still paid to the young. Yes, certainly retailers and brands should cater to Millennials, but they also should recognize the spending strength of older ... Read more

The Store Still Matters to Consumers Along with Digital

Blog banner featuring man and woman looking up thoughtfully with through bubbles around them
In our latest shopper study, “Benchmarking The Future”, what is evident is this: over the last decade, we’ve digitized, we’ve “omnied”, we’ve “niched” and we’ve socialized.  It has been important to do that.  Many shoppers do want digital tools and omni-channel access, and new ways of connecting to each other, as well as new and ... Read more

Big Brands Still Matter – Stop Being So Defensive

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Small brands are gaining trust and influence on the store shelf, but can retailers just walk away from big heritage labels? Not likely. Shoppers want access to both small and big names, our research shows, but for different reasons. Here’s how adventure, and even self-expression, factor in, and how some merchants are responding. Bigger Brands ... Read more

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