The Human Store: How Hy-Vee, Nordstrom, Victoria’s Secret and Camp Do it

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Among the reinvented retail formats we have seen that meet post-pandemic shopper expectations, few resonate as deeply as the efforts by some retailers and brands to create authentic, human experiences. What does this mean? From our recent Future Shop® podcast, WSL leaders explain what makes a “human store,” with boots-on-the-ground, Retail Safari® examples.  Your Store ... Read more

Powerful Partnerships: What Makes Retail Alliances Work

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More big retailers are exploring alliances, with the anticipation that doubling up will double the cachet, more than double the size of the shopper basket – and create a second reason to come into the store. WSL sent its Retail Safari® scouts out to see what works and does not toward this bigger-basket goal, and ... Read more

20 New Shopper Trends Retailers Should Know for 2021

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As we look forward to a 2021 full of hope, we decided to look back on what shoppers have taught us this year, which is what retailers and brands will need to deliver next. Here are 20 of the most significant findings from WSL’s 2020 archives. Determination. In the WSL Dictionary of Retail and Shopper ... Read more

WSL’s Retail Caring Scores: What Matters to Shoppers?

Retail Caring Scores, What Matters to shoppers? Blog banner featuring african american woman smiling with eyes closed and hands over her heart
WSL asked shoppers to rate retailers based on measures that show how much they CARE about their customers in the midst of the pandemic. The results: Being cared for means keeping shoppers WELL, not just with sanitizers and masks, but encouraging the purchase of healthier choices and creating happy, low-stress experiences. When it Comes to ... Read more

It’s a 2020 COVID Christmas, Are People Feeling the Spirit of Giving Gifts?

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We know the Internet will win a bigger share of holiday shopping, but at WSL we turned our attention to whether the spirit of making lists and giving gifts is thriving -- or not. Financially Speaking 2/3 of the US shoppers are feeling financially secure or even optimistic, creating a large pool of shoppers with ... Read more

Retail Clinics Need to Pick Up the Pace to Stay Relevant

Retail Clinics Need to Pick Up the Pace to Stay Relevant blog banner featuring elderly woman using telehealth on her tablet at home
Following the path to share in The Big Business of WELL, retail chains are making space for healthcare clinics, but their rollout plans are too long, and also need to account for the new dimension in healthcare: telehealth conferencing.  Retailer Health Centers are Moving at an Anemic Rate CVS and Target launched the MinuteClinic, and ... Read more

Passion for WELL Remains, 3 Tips to Capture a Booming Market

Passion for WELL Remains, 3 Tips to Capture a Booming Market blog banner featuring woman wearing mask and smiling up at the sunny sky while holding yoga mat
Shoppers may have fallen into less-healthy eating and wellness practices during the pandemic, but those wellness values are still embedded, and shoppers are getting back on track, our latest How America Shops® report shows. Here are a few tips for how brands and retailers should be marketing WELL now. The Pandemic Changed WELLness Habits, But ... Read more

Shoppers are Taking Back WELL: 5 Ways Retail Can Help

Shoppers are Taking Back WELL: 5 Ways Retail Can Help blog banner featuring overlay of two people raising their fists into the air and a clock labelled well being in the backrgound
Remember December, when so many people resolved to include holistic wellness in their foods, products, and activities? The pandemic sidelined the healthy-living movement for many, but now, after several months of sheltering-in-place, shoppers are reclaiming the concept of personal and family wellness in all they do. Here’s how retail stores can help. Shoppers Are So ... Read more

These CPG Categories are Going to See a Big Online Lift

These CPG Categories are Going to See a Big Online Lift blog banner featuring woman in a yellow cardigan holding her credit card to purchase something on her laptop
Our research indicates that online shopping for basics, including groceries, will continue to lift as more customers are won over by the channel’s safety, price, and ease. People who bought the basic groceries and health products online as a result of the pandemic tell us about their experience and their future plans. One new long-term ... Read more

4 Ways to Get Ahead of the Real Financial Crisis

4 Ways to Get Ahead of the Real Financial Crisis blog banner featuring vector illustration of city skyline, a downwards chart arrow and man floating down with a red umbrella
We could take some encouragement from the recent jump in retail sales, but let’s keep it measured. WSL’s research shows as many as half of Americans remain pessimistic about their financial security, depending on socioeconomic conditions. That figure is likely to rise as unemployment and stimulus checks dry up. Our latest How America Shops® research ... Read more

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