report

WSL/Strategic Retail Study: More Than 1 in 2 Americans Can Barely Afford Basics

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Fifty-two percent of Americans are struggling to afford necessities—and for many even that is a stretch, according to WSL/Strategic Retail in its “How America Shops MegaTrends" report, "Moving On 2012.”

Other significant findings by WSL/Strategic Retail, which is a leading authority on shopper behavior and retail trends, in its newest report that was released on March 1:

Mobile-Centric Merchandising Emerges

Submitted by manyeshab on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 12:06
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Have you picked up your smartphone to check the availability, deals and prices of products available in your store, yet sold elsewhere? Well, it’s likely that many of your customers have, and even more are expected to in the near future, according to two recent studies.

Here are some stats to help put technology-integrative shopping in perspective for you.

Research from Perception Research Services International, which specializes in shopper research, reveals that:
• 83% of smartphone owners use their devices while shopping

Retail Sales Get a Boost in January

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January retail-industry sales—excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants—increased 0.9% from December and 4% over last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Holiday Sales Exceed Expectations

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Holiday retail sales surpassed expectations this past season, rising 4.1% to $471.5 billion; slightly higher than the National Retail Federation forecast of 3.8% growth.

According to the NRF, December retail-industry sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 4.1% over the prior year and decreased .06% from November.



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