Ghost kitchens disappeared as quickly as they came: Quality issues, consumer ambivalence, and shifting dining behaviors contributed to their downfall.
A generous return policy can encourage consumer spending and inspire loyalty. On the other hand, a policy that makes it more costly or inconvenient for customers to return their items could sting a retailer’s bottom line. Here are some short- and long-term ways return policies can affect retailers, and ways to avoid charging customers a fee to cover return costs.
Etsy’s sales have remained “essentially flat” for two years: The niche online marketplace’s inability to broaden its reach led it to lay off about 225 employees.
Gen Z's preference for Pinterest influences retail strategies: The platform's positive, noncompetitive nature aligns with Gen Z's mental health awareness.
Tensions between Temu and Shein are rising (again): Weeks after the companies dropped their previous lawsuits against each other, Temu sued Shein.
Retail sales jumped in November as shoppers snapped up deals: US consumers are taking full advantage of their recovering buying power this holiday season.
Recommerce is more than just a retail trend: The surge in circular retail reflects shifting consumer values—we explore the subject with Optoro CEO Amena Ali.
Indian startup Udaan raises $340 million for its B2B ecommerce platform: The company will use the funds to pave its path to an IPO and get a larger piece of the $100 billion market.
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.