Content about Consumer behaviour

February 27, 2013
Consumer confidence rebounds in February

Consumer confidence rebounded in February, reversing three straight months of declines, according to The Conference Board, a private research group.

NEW YORK — Consumer confidence rebounded in February, reversing three straight months of declines, according to The Conference Board, a private research group. The Conference Board’s closely-watched Consumer Confidence Index stands at 69.6, up from 58.4 in January. Economists had expected 60.5, according to research firm FactSet.

It was the highest reading since November’s 71.5 metric.  

February 26, 2013
CEA: Consumer confidence down again

Consumer confidence in the overall economy and sentiment toward technology both fell again in February, according to the latest figures released by the Consumer Electronics Association.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Consumer confidence in the overall economy and sentiment toward technology both fell again in February, according to the latest figures released by the Consumer Electronics Association.

The CEA Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE), which measures consumer expectations about the broader economy, fell 2.7 points in February to 165.3. Consumer confidence in the overall economy declined for the second consecutive month.

February 26, 2013
E-commerce satisfaction continues to grow

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index's (ACSI) annual E-Commerce Report, produced in partnership with customer experience analytics firm ForeSee, customer satisfaction with e-commerce websites continues to rise, gaining 1.2% to 81.1 on the ACSI's 100-point scale.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index's (ACSI) annual E-Commerce Report, produced in partnership with customer experience analytics firm ForeSee, customer satisfaction with e-commerce websites continues to rise, gaining 1.2% to 81.1 on the ACSI's 100-point scale. 

February 26, 2013
Publix tops among retailers in customer satisfaction, followed by Amazon and Office Depot

Customer satisfaction with retailers is on the rise, according to a report released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. In fact, it’s at an all time high, up 0.7% to 76.6 in 2012 on ACSI’s 100-point scale.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Customer satisfaction with retailers is on the rise, according to a report released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. In fact, it’s at an all time high, up 0.7% to 76.6 in 2012 on ACSI’s 100-point scale. And once again, Publix is on top, outperforming all other retailers (physical and pure online players) with a score of 86.

February 12, 2013
Study: 'Showrooming' a lesser threat than once thought

In a survey of more than 6,200 consumers collected during the peak holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Amazon scored highest among 25 of the top mobile commerce companies in terms of customer satisfaction, according to a report released Tuesday by ForeSee.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In a survey of more than 6,200 consumers collected during the peak holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Amazon scored highest among 25 of the top mobile commerce companies in terms of customer satisfaction, according to a report released Tuesday by ForeSee. 

February 7, 2013
Brand bloggers to make Bentonville journey

A first of its kind social shopper event is coming to Walmart’s home town in May courtesy of new media company Collective Bias.

A first of its kind social shopper event is coming to Walmart’s home town in May courtesy of new media company Collective Bias.

The event, called SoFabCon, will be held May 3-5 and is the first annual gathering of the proprietary Collective Bias community of shopping influencers known as Social Fabric. Event organizers expect 200 members of the Social Fabric blogger community to participate with a collective sphere of influence that touches 40 million people.

January 28, 2013
NRF forecasts tepid sales on slow economic growth

Retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 3.4%, down slightly from 4.2% in 2012 and 5.8% in 2011, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2013 economic forecast.

WASHINGTON — Retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 3.4%, down slightly from 4.2% in 2012 and 5.8% in 2011, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2013 economic forecast.

The lukewarm forecast, released Monday, comes on the heels of a holiday season that went head-to-head with Washington’s political wrangling over fiscal concerns, shifting consumers’ spending plans downward. In the end, holiday sales in 2012 grew 3.0%.

January 24, 2013
Consumers forsake brands for loyalty card deals

One-in-five consumers between the ages of 35 years and 54 years are choosing products due to a loyalty card discount, SymphonyIRI Group reported Wednesday as part of its Q4 2012 MarketPulse survey.

CHICAGO — One-in-five consumers between the ages of 35 years and 54 years are choosing products due to a loyalty card discount, SymphonyIRI Group reported Wednesday as part of its Q4 2012 MarketPulse survey. And almost one-third are forsaking their preferred brands due to a sale price. The survey found that shopper sentiment dropped to its lowest point since Q3 2011.

January 3, 2013
Online satisfaction slipped at Walmart

An annual holiday e-retail satisfaction report produced by analytic's firm ForeSee showed a slight deterioration in Walmart’s satisfaction score during the holidays.

An annual holiday e-retail satisfaction report produced by analytic's firm ForeSee showed a slight deterioration in Walmart’s satisfaction score during the holidays.

Amazon.com, LLBean.com and QVC.com were the top three retailers on ForeSee’s Annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction survey while Walmart.com fell in the middle of the pack.

October 17, 2012
Supermarkets rate high in customer satisfaction, checkouts, cleanliness count

A recent study showed that supermarkets generate high satisfaction among their shoppers.

PLAINVIEW, N.Y. — A recent study showed that supermarkets generate high satisfaction among their shoppers. Supermarkets scored an average of 4.47 on a five-point satisfaction scale (where five is the highest), according to the "2012 U.S. Supermarket Experience Study" conducted by the Retail Feedback Group.

October 15, 2012
Nielsen survey gives retailers reason for holiday cheer

Higher consumer confidence levels, increased impulse buying and consumer intent to spend more could all lead to an upside surprise in 2012 holiday spending, according to Nielsen analyses.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Higher consumer confidence levels, increased impulse buying and consumer intent to spend more could all lead to an upside surprise in 2012 holiday spending, according to Nielsen analyses.

Although almost six out of every 10 consumers (59%) reported plans to spend the same as last year, there is a 10-point drop (from 37% in 2011 to 27% in 2012) in the number of people expecting to spend less. Eight percent of respondents reported plans to spend more this holiday season, up from 5% in 2011 and 2010.

September 25, 2012
Consumer Electronics Association sees boost in technology confidence

Consumers are growing more confident in technology and plan on spending more in this area, according to the latest CEA Index released today by the Consumer Electronics Association.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Consumers are growing more confident in technology and plan on spending more in this area, according to the latest CEA Index released today by the Consumer Electronics Association. The CEA Index also showed that consumer confidence in the overall economy improved this month.

August 7, 2012
Payment systems provider names EVP global markets

ACI Worldwide, an international provider of payment systems, has named Daniel Frate as EVP global markets and product management.

NAPLES, Fla. — ACI Worldwide, an international provider of payment systems, has named Daniel Frate as EVP global markets and product management.

Frate most recently served as EVP and head of products and pricing at PNC Bank. Building on ACI's product leadership position, Frate will be charged with delivering customer satisfaction through tight alignment of product roadmaps with market needs. He will be based out of the company's Naples, Florida headquarters.

August 1, 2012
Consumer confidence unexpectedly rises in July

Consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in July as Americans were more optimistic about the short-term outlook than they were about their current conditions, according to a report released Tuesday by The Conference Group, private research group.

NEW YORK — Consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in July as Americans were more optimistic about the short-term outlook than they were about their current conditions, according to a report released Tuesday by The Conference Group, private research group. The report showed that while consumers are feeling better about the economy, they remain wary about the labor markets.

July 19, 2012
Back-to-school’s bright future

Retailers should brace for strong back-to-school sales according to a National Retail Federation survey that shows a surge in K-through-12 and college spending.

Retailers should brace for strong back-to-school sales according to a National Retail Federation survey that shows a surge in K-through-12 and college spending.

June 26, 2012
CE industry expects spending boosts on improved consumer confidence

Consumers are feeling more positive about the overall economy and are growing more likely to make technology purchase, according to the latest CEA Index from the Consumer Electronics Association.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Consumers are feeling more positive about the overall economy and are growing more likely to make technology purchase, according to the latest CEA Index from the Consumer Electronics Association.

June 18, 2012
BTS spending to top last year

Nearly half of U.S. shoppers plan to spend more this back-to-school shopping season than in 2011, according to the latest PriceGrabber survey.

LOS ANGELES — Nearly half of U.S. shoppers plan to spend more this back-to-school shopping season than in 2011, according to the latest PriceGrabber survey.

Pooling responses from 4,450 U.S. online shopping consumers, with 1,509 of the respondents planning to shop this back-to-school season, 46% said they plan to spend more this year that in 2011, while 35% said they plan to spend the same amount (compared with 52% that expressed this sentiment in 2011) and 19% are looking to spend less this year (compared with 35% in 2011).

May 10, 2012
Investment in online pays off

Though 79 is just one point shy of what ForeSee considers a superior score on its annual top 100 online retailers for customer satisfaction list, Target should still be concerned as it was three points behind rival Walmart, and three points does make a difference.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.  — Walmart has put a considerable amount of time an effort into its digital business, and that appears to have been well worth it as the company achieved an 82, from a prior-year score of 79, on ForeSee's 2012 rating of Internet retailers. Achieving an 82 is impressive, as a score of 80 is the minimim needed to be considered "superior." The survey scored all retailers on the list out of a 100.

May 7, 2012
ShopperTrak: April 2012

Warm weather and shifting holidays in March caused retail foot traffic to dip in April. Retail foot traffic in April was 7.6% lower from March, and 2.7% lower on a year-over-year basis. The slow April is the first in the past 3 months to experience a decline in year-over-year and month-over-month retail foot traffic.

Total U.S. shopper traffic in retail stores and malls for April 2012

Warm weather and shifting holidays in March caused retail foot traffic to dip in April. Retail foot traffic in April was 7.6% lower from March, and 2.7% lower on a year-over-year basis.  The slow April is the first in the past 3 months to experience a decline in year-over-year and month-over-month retail foot traffic.

April 19, 2012
Consumer confidence rises to match four-year high

NEW YORK — A report released by Bloomberg showed that household confidence improved last week to match the highest level in four years. 

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was minus 31.4 in the period ended April 15, compared with minus 32.8 over the previous seven days. The reading equaled that from two weeks earlier as the best since March 2008.

Despite the strong showing, the monthly expectations measure fell from a one-year high, showing ongoing concerns that too many Americans are still unemployed.

March 28, 2012
Consumer confidence dips in March

The Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board fall slightly in March to 70.2 from 71.6 in February.

NEW YORK — The Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board fall slightly in March to 70.2 from 71.6 in February. 

"Consumer Confidence pulled back slightly in March, after rising sharply in February,” said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. “The moderate decline was due solely to a less favorable short-term outlook, while consumers’ assessment of current conditions, on the other hand, continued to improve.”

February 29, 2012
Consumer confidence up dramatically in February

Consumer confidence in February shot up from last month to the highest level since a year ago, according to The Conference Board.

NEW YORK — Consumer confidence in February shot up from last month to the highest level since a year ago, according to The Conference Board. The group’s Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 70.8, up from a revised 61.5 in January, buoyed by consumers' more positive assessment of the job market.

February 3, 2012
Consumer confidence rises in U.S.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index revealed Thursday that consumer confidence in the U.S. climbed for the second week in a row, suggesting rising optimism about economic issues.

WASHINGTON — The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index revealed Thursday that consumer confidence in the U.S. climbed for the second week in a row, suggesting rising optimism about economic issues.

The Index rose to minus 44.8 in the period to Jan. 29 from minus 46.4 the previous week. A measure of Americans’ view of the state of economy climbed to the highest since June, according to the report.

Gains in employment and post-holiday clearance sales at retailers also helped create a better buying climate for consumers, the report showed.

February 3, 2012
NRF BIG Show Wrap-Up Report

Seamless customer experience, empowered consumers, mobile commerce and social shopping were among the buzzwords at the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo in New York City.

NEW YORK — Seamless customer experience, empowered consumers, mobile commerce and social shopping were among the buzzwords at the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo in New York City. Highlights of the show, which set new records for attendance and featured a keynote address by a former president, are featured in Retailing Today sister publication Chain Store Age’s NRF BIG Show Wrap-Up report.

 Click here to download the report. 

January 3, 2012
Consumer confidence rose more than forecast in December

The Conference Board report, released last week, found that confidence among consumers rose to an eight-month high in December, increasing to 64.5 from a revised 55.2 reading in November.

WASHINGTON — The Conference Board report, released last week, found that confidence among consumers rose to an eight-month high in December, increasing to 64.5 from a revised 55.2 reading in November.

The index reading exceeded all estimates in a Bloomberg News survey and was the highest since April.