Online Grocery Shopping to Reach Maturation in Next Decade
The market share of online grocery shopping could reach 20 percent by 2025, representing $100 billion in annual consumer sales, according to The Digitally Engaged Food Shopper report from the Food Marketing Institute and Nielsen. The report estimates that a significant portion of brick-and-mortar categories could migrate to an...
Holiday sales were up higher-than-expected 4%
Retail sales rose 4% during the holiday season compared with the year before, according to NRF, outpacing original estimates for a 3.6% increase. “These numbers show that the nation’s slow-but-steady economic recovery is picking up speed and that consumers feel good about the future,” NRF President and CEO Matthew...
Mobile loyalty programs are the new modern currency
Nearly 70% of all shoppers and 82% of millennials prefer using loyalty cards that can be stored on their mobile phones, according to a study from Urban Airship. Retailers are taking notice, including Walgreens, whose Balance Rewards can be added to Apple Pay’s wallet app, and Kohl’s, whose mobile...
Holiday report found it was a strong season for mobile
Mobile commerce remains strong coming out of the holiday season, when mobile devices accounted for half of website visits and nearly a third of online sales, according to a report from Adobe. Read more …
Tech that puts customers front and center
From the nation’s largest supermarket chains to longstanding mom-and-pop shops, brick and mortars big and small are rapidly embracing online order and delivery. Should you? Do you even have a choice if everyone else is doing it? What kind of program might benefit your customers, and your bottom line,...
More people expected to adopt EMV technology in 2017
It has been a little more than a year since the deadline requiring merchants to use EMV chip card technology has passed, and security experts say the technology is still more vulnerable to hacking attempts than credit card companies might have you believe. Read more …
Simple signs may encourage healthier purchases
New research suggests that simple in-store marketing materials directing customers to the produce section may lead consumers to make healthier choices. Read more …
Why one natural retailer chooses a living wage, not just minimum wage
Cambridge Naturals raised its starting hourly wage to meet the living wage in its Massachusetts community, which is $4 an hour higher than minimum wage. Read why the founders believe the move will bring even greater success to their business. Read more …
Plastic is proliferating, but “cash is still king”
As credit cards and debit cards — and now mobile payments and digital wallets — have proliferated, cash is getting a bad rap. A few retailers actually want a cashless future, but with banks taking huge fees out of every card transaction, NRF’s Mallory Duncan says “cash is still...
Expanding your store? Consider these 5 points for a strong staffing plan
When staff truly understands what is good for the business, they become far more willing to embrace whatever the needed changes may be. Read more …