Fixing the problem of global warming will require more than switching to electric cars and getting our electricity from solar cells and windmills. The entire food supply chain, from farms to supermarket shelves, has an important role to play in climate solutions as well. Recognizing that, FMI – The Food Industry Association has joined the
Tis the season for predictions about just how much consumers will spend on holiday gifts, food and decorations. So far the surveys mostly suggest that consumer spending will tick up, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, although how people will shop and what they will buy will be different this year. One change is that this year’s
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Retailers have struggled to deliver outstanding customer service during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI.) “From the onset of COVID-19, consumer expectations of retailers took a massive hit,” ASCI managing director David VanAmburg said. “Customers braced for delayed packages, empty grocery store
The nightmare is that Halloween will prove scarier than usual this year, for retailers at least. Will the threat of a second wave of COVID-19 infections frighten away trick-or-treaters? If so, that could hurt sales of candy, of course, but also of costumes and home decorations. Especially if Halloween parties are another casualty of the
Once upon a time Walmart was the world’s largest retailer because of sales at its thousands of brick-and-mortar stores, and Amazon was a completely different kind of company specializing in something called e-commerce. Recent moves by both companies make it clear just how long ago that was, and emphasize the extent that the two leviathans
American shopping habits have changed in many ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. People who had not previously tried shopping for groceries online have embraced the practice, for example. And consumers worried about contracting the virus by touching things have helped drive the increased use of contactless payment methods. The big question for retailers is whether
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Walmart made it official on Wednesday: Shoppers in Walmart and Sam’s Club outlets nationwide will be required to wear face coverings, effective July 20. “While we’re certainly not the first business to require face coverings, we know this is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of
WASHINGTON – Theft, fraud and other “shrink” cost retailers about $61.7 billion in 2019, up from $50.6 billion the year before, the National Retail Federation said Tuesday. According to the National Retail Security Survey released Tuesday by the NRF, the number of shoplifting, organized retail crime and employee theft incidents were all up last year.
In his 2007 book, Where’s My Jetpack?: A Guide to the Amazing Science Fiction Future That Never Arrived, robotist and author Daniel Wilson took readers on a tour of some of the revolutionary technologies that were supposed to change everything, but didn’t. Something like that has happened in the retail industry, according to a new
WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation is postponing its Big Show annual convention and expo, normally held in January, until June 2021. But NRF said Thursday that it also plans to hold a virtual event in January. Both events will feature the theme “Forward Together.” “The health and safety of our team, industry partners and
BARRINGTON, Ill. — Online grocery sales grew in June, driven by coronavirus fears and the increased availability of pickup and delivery services from retailers. U.S. online grocery sales totaled $7.2 billion in June, an increase of 9% over May, according to a Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Survey. The poll, conducted on June 24 and 25, found
Retailers are understandably wondering what consumer behavior will look like as the economy opens up again. Will people venture back to stores and restaurants, or will they still be afraid that they could be exposed to the novel coronavirus? Will those who have tried online shopping for the first time during the early days of