Department Store Archives - WSL Strategic Retail

How America Shops® in Chaos: What’s Worth It Now?

In this report, we looked at how shoppers’ habits, preferences, and thinking have changed in light of seemingly endless crises. We wanted to better understand how shoppers are navigating a chaotic world, how they’re changing (or not changing) their values and preferences, and the roles brands and retailers can play in helping them navigate through. ... Read more

Shoppers’ Economy and How They’ve Learned to Cope

Future now future next 2024 volume 1 main banner

Future Now Future Next — Volume 1 [ 2024 ] The shopper is feeling more financially secure (or are they?) but the population is shifting. This Future Now Future Next delivers input for your new retail strategy. Our latest shopper insights – at your fingertips Our national How America Shops® surveys explain what’s driving shopping ... Read more

Paradox of the New Shopping World

In this report you will learn the impact of the paradox that is driving permanent change in retail as shoppers cope by creating their own solutions. Paradox #1: Inflation still roars: Low income are frugal out of necessity and higher income “just in case”! Paradox #2: More is Less: More channels to shop, retailers to spend, ... Read more

Leading Shoppers from Troubles to Joy

Troubles to Joy HAS Report banner featuring JOY in large letters and collage of troubles from previous years

The pandemic was the catalyst for what the Irish call the “Troubles” that expanded to social and political unrest, the erosion of trust in the tools we use for shopping, and what started as inflation shoppers now feel is a permanent price correction. This report updates the shopping and social behaviors changed by permanent inflation. ... Read more

Shoppers Say: Inflated Prices are Here to Stay

Shoppers are adjusting their shopping behaviors and budgets for the long haul as 90% expect the high inflation prices they are experiencing today to be around for a long time to come. Over 2/5 of shoppers are cutting back on how they spend in order to cover their basic bills like utilities and housing and groceries, with adjustments that ... Read more

From Chaos Comes Clarity: A Future Now-Future Next Study

Future Shop 2022-24: From Chaos Comes Clarity banner featuring woman with covid particles floating around her head

WSL’s annual forecast on where shoppers are headed and what companies need to focus on in the coming 18 - 24 months. Based on WSL's How America Shops® research, this Future Now-Future Next study reveals: How shoppers have been transformed by the pandemic (and not) Where and how they're shopping (It's not only the Internet) ... Read more

My Random Shopping Life

The evidence is all around us - shopping is becoming more and more digital. For some, buying online has become a way of life… their primary method of getting the shopping done, regardless of whether it’s the weekly grocery trip, the quick fill-in trip for tonight’s dinner or the impulse purchase of a luxury item. For ... Read more

Shoppers Reveal Many Paths to Purchase

Shoppers had been self-solving to make CPG easier and faster to shop since 2016. Then the pandemic allowed more shoppers to become expert online shoppers at their favorite chains. In this report, we look at the emerging, unintended consequences for brands -- more brand switching online, more pre-shopping online offset by shoppers willing to pay more for ... Read more

Shopping Next: What Will Stick or Slip

March 2020: Every aspect of life was turned upside down – Work-life, School life, Home Life, and certainly Shopping Life®. Nine months later, in November 2020, WSL studied shoppers to understand which shopping habits learned during the pandemic will stick going forward, and which will slip away, which social and product values shoppers will continue to ... Read more

RESET The Big Business of WELL

This new report delivers two important findings to help you “Reset” your WELL opportunity. Strong WELLness habits were in place before COVID-19, and shoppers will continue to prioritize immunity, hydration, “free from” products and looking healthy. Some may take awhile to get back into their routine, but they will. The Reset WELL challenge is to ... Read more