Many retailers are predicting that consumer spending patterns in 2024 could be similar to 2023—pulling back on discretionary categories and sometimes essentials like groceries. So far, discount and dollar stores have benefited from tightened consumer spending, but that success isn’t guaranteed in the new year. Here’s how three low-price retailers are planning to appeal to consumers and keep sales up in the months ahead.
81% of US adult digital shoppers review return policies before making a first-time purchase, and 55% will abandon their cart if return policies aren’t convenient, per a Happy Returns report commissioned by PayPal.
The partnership will provide payment flexibility to holiday shoppers who may be more budget conscious this year
The company’s valuation is still far below what it was aiming for at the start of 2022 due to the tough economic environment for raising money
It’s banking on the metaverse as the future of commerce with hopes of gaining early mover advantages
Large retailers are in a prime position for the final holiday push: Amazon, Target, and Walmart are poised to leverage their infrastructures to capture an outsize share of spend and retail media dollars.
US consumers are increasingly motivated by cost rather than loyalty: They expect perks and benefits in return for their brand devotion.
Safety is a concern for nearly two-thirds of retail workers: As employees grapple with rising thefts and more hostile customers, retailers should consider beefing up staff levels.
On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how purchase data can inform campaigns, the importance of real-time information, and what retail media networks are missing. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the most exciting retail media tech advances happening right now. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Arielle Feger and Damian Garbaccio, chief business and marketing officer at Affinity Solutions.
Zara owner Inditex raised its margin outlook: That comes on the heels of a strong start to the holiday season.
On today’s podcast episode, we talk about our latest report that looks at new features being offered by the top cash-back credit cards and how much consumers value them. • In our “Headlines” segment, we break down a recent CNBC article about some of the limited-time merchant rewards the major credit cards are offering. • In “Story by Numbers,” we discuss the Insider Intelligence emerging features benchmark that identified 49 novel qualities and carefully reviewed the feature sets of 10 popular no-fee cash-back credit cards. We also talk about free security features that customers value the most. • In “For Argument’s Sake,” our host Rob Rubin has a difficult time staying true to his position (Credit card features are so tempting!) as he debates why consumers feel certain credit card features are valuable and that they would forgo most of them for more rewards. Listen to the podcast with Rob Rubin and our analyst David Morris.
China is emerging as the global ecommerce leader: We share the dynamics driving the region’s digital commerce success in an excerpt from our recent report.
The average Temu user spent 18 minutes per day on the company’s app: That’s nearly double the 10 minutes they spent on Amazon’s app.
Uniqlo aims to have 200 North American stores by 2027: The retailer’s offline push dovetails with a new report that finds physical stores boost retailers’ online sales and traffic.
Inflation eased slightly in November, to consumers’ relief: Confidence is ticking up as prices come down, but retailers like Hasbro are struggling to capture spending.
TikTok Shop is the holiday retailer of choice for one-third of Gen Zs: The marketplace is racking up sales thanks to its aggressive promotional strategy, despite lukewarm interest from larger brands.
Retail embraces AI chatbots: Gen Z adoption pushes them to the forefront, but blending tech with human service remains imperative
In part two of this two-part podcast episode, we discuss some predictions for 2024 that are too specific to be 100% certain about but could still come true, including: which car company Amazon could potentially acquire, how AI might land itself in hot water, and the next digital consumer privacy lawsuit. Tune in to the discussion with our vice presidents of content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna and analyst Max Willens.
As retail media evolves, ad placements off-site and in-store will help grocery advertisers reach shoppers in new and more engaging ways, but consumers may not be in a spending mood as credit card balances grow and savings accounts shrink. If Amazon can get grocery right, it may be able to fight off losing share to Walmart. But if the Kroger-Albertsons merger goes through, it could change everything.
Launch of Paramount+ with Showtime marks a new streaming era: The rebrand signifies the industry's move toward content diversity and market expansion strategies.