New York SBDC Research Network

Excerpt from an article by Krista Garcia To read more, visit  eMarketer "Based on the titles of two new studies, “Stress Shopping” and “Retail Nightmares,” it’s a sad state of affairs for shoppers, in-store and online. Emotions play a role in shopping behavior even if consumers don't think that they do. According to a recent survey of UK and US internet users by analytics firm Clicktale, 78% of respondents believe they are rational when they shop. Yet 40% said they shop to calm down, and 74% said they have "stress-shopped" in the past. Younger shoppers and women were more likely to engage in this behavior; 62% of those ages 16 to 24 stress-shop and women were 12% likelier than men to shop for this reason."

From eMarketer.Retail According to a March 2018 survey of US B2C retail executives by 451 Research, commissioned by Adyen, 78% of respondents said they're considering cashless stores that only accept credit cards and other digital payment options. In contrast, 36% of operations managers, essentially those that are more involved with the customer journey day to day, were in agreement. And their differing views don't stop there. Retail executives were more likely (81%) to say they saw an increase in customers using their mobile devices while shopping in-store—either for coupons, payments or product information—than operations managers (53%). In theory, cashless stores may reduce friction at checkout, which is often caused by long lines

Obtained From:   eMarketer A recent  HRC Retail Advisory  survey of consumers in North America found that nearly all respondents (95%) only want help from a sales associate when they need it. Therein lies the issue—how to balance shoppers’ need for self-sufficiency with in-store tech investments meant to help staff on the front lines? More than half (53%) of consumers surveyed ranked the in-store experience as the most important factor while shopping, but what does that exactly mean? A good number of respondents (30%) said mobile checkout was important to them, and almost as many thought apps that would make personalized recommendations were as well. But sales associates who served this same function were less desirable, cited by just 17%.  A separate survey of US internet users by  Zebra Technologies  discovered that the younger the consumer, the more likely they are to be receptive to sales associates using tech for assistance. Indeed, 58% of respo...

From eMarketing : A new study adds another data point to the pile of evidence: The most frustrating thing about shopping in-store is waiting in line to check out. But the study from Mood Media did underscore that there are still aspects of the in-store experience that shoppers value. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of US internet users surveyed said it was important to be able to touch and feel products—women (77%) even more so than men (67%). Almost as many, 66%, said they liked the “instant gratification” of shopping, and 48% said they liked to be able to browse and discover items while shopping in a store. A significant number of shoppers also said they liked to be able to speak to a shop assistant.

From eMarketer : An April 2017 survey by Campaigner, an email marketing platform, explored consumer interactions with brands. More than half of US digital buyers said they followed a brand on Facebook, which was significantly higher compared with any other social platform. It was even more common among millennials: Fully 65% of this cohort said they followed a brand on Facebook. But social networks are not necessarily the top choice for interacting with brands. As a whole, only a quarter (24%) of digital buyers in the survey said they preferred “to interact with their favorite brands” via social media. Instead, in-store and in-person communication was the most commonly cited channel (65%), followed by company websites (58%) and email (44%). Respondents could site multiple choices.

From Ondeck The back-to-school season is a big one: according to the National Retail Federation, it will reach around $68 billion this year. Even if you don’t sell pencils, it’s tempting to want to grab a piece of the pie. But is it worth your small business marketing dollars to try to win some of these back-to-school shoppers? The back-to-school season starts early, with at least 25% of K-12 parents saying they begin researching and shopping by early July. Parents of K-12 and college-bound kids will spend between $600 and $900 per student, on average. However, despite the dollars flying around, on everything from notebooks to clothes, electronics, dorm furnishings, and convenience items, there’s a downward trend in the back-to-school season. There are fewer shoppers predicted this year, and most families will be spending less per student than last year. It’s still a huge shopping season, but small business owners need to remember what these shoppers want most: the lowest possib...

from Elise Hu of NPR If you've ever wondered just how much marketing companies know about you, whether it's your education or income or purchase preferences, today you can see for yourself.  With the beta launch of AboutTheData.com , marketing technology company Acxiom is giving you a glimpse of the online profile your shopping habits have created for you — the one digital marketers use to sell things to you. continue reading at the link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/09/04/218889785/get-a-glimpse-of-the-data-marketers-have-about-you

You've gotten your customer on your site, and even to the checkout page, but (as you well know) your efforts don't end at the "Add To Basket" button. If you want to encourage your website visitors to complete their purchases, you need to double-check your checkout process. Any e-commerce site owner knows the frustration resulting from the abandonment of a full shopping basket; all online shops suffer from a certain amount of checkout abandonment. But the most likely causes of a high rate of abandonment are few, and they're relatively simple to rectify. Read more at MarketingProfs.com .

The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday® is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on the busiest shopping weekend of the year. On November 26, pledge to shop small at your favorite local stores and fuel your local economy. When millions of Americans shop small, it could be huge. Shop Small on Small Business Saturday Check out Small Business Saturday on Facebook .

Scarborough Research, the leading consumer research firm measuring the lifestyle and shopping patterns, media behaviors and demographics of American consumers, released an analysis which finds that the South reigns for eBay Visitors . But Rochester, NY does OK, too.