Consumer Trends: Page 156


  • JCPenney CEO raising prices

    As returned CEO Mike Ullman rolls up his sleeves and begins cleaning up the mess, prices are climbing — to make way for discounts.

    By Jan. 31, 2014
  • Realistic mannequins on the rise

    More retailers are adopting display models with wider proportions and even, in some cases, body hair.

    By Roger Riddell • Jan. 30, 2014
  • Trendline

    How artificial intelligence is shaping retail

    More retailers are leaning on AI as a tool, tapping into the tech to improve customer service and support supply chain functions.

    By Retail Dive staff
  • H&M profits miss projections

    Its competition is stiff, but the Swedish retailer says it will head into the wind, continuing its expansion in the U.S. and China.

    By Jan. 30, 2014
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    Ship-from-store gives Best Buy an edge over Amazon

    While most retailers assume shipping efficiency resides in well-placed, big warehouses, Best Buy and others have found that their established stores make useful mini-warehouses.

    By Jan. 30, 2014
  • Amazon may provide payments for brick-and-mortar stores

    A variety of Kindle-based systems and services may or may not come to pass, according to unnamed sources.

    By Jan. 30, 2014
  • Bitcoin dealt a blow in New York

    Officials in the empire state say it’s time to saddle bitcoin with some regulation, raising questions about its usefulness.

    By Jan. 30, 2014
  • Homegoods e-retailer Wayfair may go public

    Growing some 50% and outpacing competitors like top-performing Williams-Sonoma, the e-retailer is seeing robust business.

    By Jan. 29, 2014
  • Videogame retailers playing hardball with online competition

    To keep gamers coming to their stores, GameStop and other retailers are fighting digital distribution of games, and fighting hard.

    By Jan. 29, 2014
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    Zappos, Sunglass Hut, L.L. Bean winners in customer service

    A recent study found that fewer clicks to order, fast shipping, and ease of communication are customer priorities.

    By Jan. 29, 2014
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    Consumer confidence at a surprise 5-month high

    To affect spending habits, such optimism will have to stay steady for a good while, economists say.

    By Jan. 29, 2014
  • Abercrombie & Fitch to split chairman/CEO roles

    The troubled teen clothing retailer made other moves, too, that are seen as an effort to soothe the nerves of its investors.

    By Jan. 29, 2014
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    Many retailers already capable of taking safer credit and debit cards

    Contrary to what many believe, many retailers are ready with point-of-sale systems that take payments resistant to fraud — customers just don't have the new cards.

    By Jan. 28, 2014
  • Ikea posts record profits

    The furniture retailer posted record profits for the year, despite its tepid embrace, so far, of e-commerce.

    By Jan. 28, 2014
  • Customers expect more in exchange for their data

    Research shows that consumers will trade access to their social media, location, and mobile information only for favorable pricing, shipping, and return policies.

    By Jan. 28, 2014
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    Merchandise returns cost U.S. retailers $270B in 2013

    Receipts in hand are no guarantee that a return is not fraudulent, and in-store returns of online-procured merchandise are an area of concern, according to a report on 2013 returns.

    By Jan. 28, 2014
  • Costco to host Obama following State of the Union speech

    The president plans to push better wages and hiring of the long-term unemployed and will visit one of the retailer’s Maryland locations.

    By Jan. 28, 2014
  • RadioShack repositioning itself with collaborative motto

    The new motto, "It Can Be Done, When We Do It Together," evokes a how-to perspective targeting tech-savvy consumers.

    By Roger Riddell • Jan. 27, 2014
  • Banks report data breach at Michaels stores

    The crafts-store chain is the latest to disclose that customers’ credit and debit card information was possibly compromised.

    By Jan. 27, 2014
  • Enhanced e-commerce site search technology pays off

    Gallery Furniture says implementing Nextopia’s e-commerce site search, navigation, and merchandising system has improved conversion rates by 35%.

    By Jan. 27, 2014
  • Could iTunes be your next mobile payment option for everything?

    Apple is exploring expansion of its iTunes payment system to allow users to pay for things at other retailers and more, unnamed sources told the Wall Street Journal.

    By Jan. 27, 2014
  • Wal-Mart slashes 2,300 Sam's Club jobs

    The retail giant said it’s working to become more efficient in the face of stiff competition in the budget-shopping sector.

    By Jan. 27, 2014
  • Google’s same-day delivery hits another city

    After a successful stint in the San Francisco Bay Area, Google Shopping Express has begun a trial run in Los Angeles.

    By Jan. 27, 2014
  • TigerDirect the latest to take bitcoin

    The electronics e-retailer says it wants to give customers an alternative way to shop and pay, and will sell hardware to mint more.

    By Jan. 24, 2014
  • Neiman Marcus admits broader extent of breach

    The disclosure comes as the FBI warns retailers of more trouble with payment system hacks.

    By Jan. 24, 2014
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    Esprit Holdings returns to profit

    Stock of the clothing retailer surged in Hong Kong trading as it reported expectations of a “slight profit” for the first half of its fiscal year, compared with losses over the same period last year.

    By Jan. 24, 2014