Retailers are aware of the fact that consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices to carry out shopping related activities, including researching items, comparing products and purchasing. While many merchants are facilitating these processes for customers by providing mobile-optimized websites for easier browsing, smartphone and tablet applications can also help shoppers. As both businesses and consumers gear up for the holiday shopping season, apps can help retailers boost their sales and assist shoppers with their gift buying.

It's going to be an 'appy' season

Internet Retailer reports that a recent study by PriceGrabber revealed that 31 percent of respondents stated they have a shopping-related application currently on their mobile device. Of that amount, 82 percent said they plan to use the apps when shopping this holiday season, with saving money being the main purpose. Of the customers who do not currently have these types of apps, 32 percent of respondents stated they will download them in the coming months to help their shopping.

Nearly half (42 percent) of consumers said they will be buying both large- and small-priced items through their applications. Forty-one percent will purchase products less than $100, while 10 percent stated they will buy all of their gifts and items by using applications, the research found.

"Instead of clipping coupons, shoppers are scouring the Internet and turning to their mobile devices to find the best deals," said Rojeh Avanesian, vice president of marketing and analytics at PriceGrabber. "With mobile shopping growing at a rapid rate, it will be interesting to see how retailers will gain the shoppers' attention in the competitive mobile market space this holiday season."

Preparing for the mobile purchasing rush

While it will be beneficial for retailers to develop and launch mobile applications to accommodate these shoppers during the holiday season, those that have mobile-optimized websites can also see many advantages. However, merchants that have neither may not be able to have as successful seasonal sales as they were hoping for.

TopTenWholesale offers some suggestions for businesses that are considering providing mobile websites for device-carrying customers. All elements included on the page need to be simple and easy to navigate, as this will reduce confusion and lead to streamlined transactions. Additionally, written text needs to be kept to a minimum. The products and services offered need to be the main focus, the source states.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, October 31st, 2012 at 4:18 am .

There may still be some retailers that have yet to implement new solutions for accommodating consumers using their smartphones and tablets to make purchases. However, the number is dwindling, as businesses are learning the importance of technology and how it can benefit operations.

"Technology is changing the way consumers shop and has the potential to provide a valuable lifeline to the retail sector," said Angus McCarey, U.K. retail director for eBay, as quoted by BizReport.

The website states that as technological devices continue to change not only the retail industry, but the world as a whole, it is only beneficial that retailers take steps to integrate these solutions into their daily methods and strategies. If they fail to do so, they could risk losing out to competition, which ultimately results in decreases in revenue as well as customer retention and loyalty.

Another aspect that retailers can take into consideration when making decisions about technology is the fact that it gives customers more control over their shopping experiences, states Judith McKenna, writing for Retail Week. While change can be daunting, these new devices are giving shopper what they want, and retailers can only stand to benefit from offering the solutions.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 4:39 am .

After the winds have died down and the rain has stopped, the impact from Hurricane Sandy is still expected to be felt throughout the East Coast, both through damage to homes and businesses as well as losses in revenue for retailers.

According to Business Insider, consumers all along the East Coast rushed to retail grocery stores to stock up on necessary supplies. While this may have resulted in a rise in revenue for these companies, the source states that customer spending from the storm could potentially impact retailers next month, as purchases due to the hurricane are not planned and therefore consumers will be forced to cut back on expenses next month. Additionally, many businesses were forced to close their doors for several days, which led to losses in sales, notes the source.

Halloween stores also felt the impact from Hurricane Sandy. The storm hit the East Coast region on Monday and Tuesday, meaning that retailers selling Halloween supplies did not see the rush of customers they normally do. The Washington Business Journal reports that several Halloween businesses in the Washington D.C. area were forced to close during the hurricane, which resulted in revenue losses.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 4:38 am .

Although retailers are expecting a large surge of shoppers over the next few months as the holiday season gets underway, many businesses are now taking advantage of Halloween and using the spooky theme to increase their sales.

According to Internet Retailer, online merchants are creating new marketing initiatives that feature Halloween elements. Ricky's NYC, a beauty supply chain, has sent out an email to customers with tips on how to best use their products for costumes and disguises. SpencersOnline.com has launched a campaign encouraging shoppers to upload photos of them in their costumes, with a chance of winning various prizes and gifts. Additionally, other retailers have sent out Halloween-inspired emails highlighting their offerings, including free shipping and discounts, the website reports.

Brick-and-mortar retailers in Australia are boosting their sales during the Halloween season, writes The Australian. Many merchants have stocked up on costumes, candy and pumpkins, and sales are expected to increase by 25 to 30 percent during October.

"It's no longer just an American event," said Margy Osmond, CEO of the Australian National Retailers Association. "Australians love the idea of the day. It seems this is a holiday that more Australians enjoy and we expect it to continue to grow." 

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 4:38 am .

As the economy continues to improve, American consumers are regaining confidence both in business conditions as well as their personal finances. Recent research has found that many people are hitting stores and increasing their spending as they begin to feel better about the future. Additionally, consumer sentiment is rising, which has reached the highest levels in five years. All of these positive signs mean good news for retailers throughout the country, as shoppers are expected to visit stores in droves over the next few months in preparation for the holiday season.

September sees better-than-expected consumer spending

According to The Associated Press, the most recent report from the U.S. Commerce Department revealed that for the month of September, consumers spent at twice the rate that their incomes increased. From August, spending rose by 0.8 percent in September, following a 0.5 percent growth in the previous month. This represents a strong sign of confidence among American consumers and is also the best showing since February, states the news source.

As consumer spending activity is such a large driver of the economy, the increases in the third quarter helped to with the 2 percent rise of economic growth during the time period. This boost followed the second quarter's increases of 1.3 percent, writes the source.

October consumer sentiment reaches five-year high

ENews Park Forest reports that the recent and significant rise in spending could be due to the fact that consumer sentiment rose to its highest levels in five years, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Survey of Consumers. The research revealed that Americans are feeling increasingly optimistic not only about their own personal finances, but also about the nation's economy and the employment outlook.

The sentiment index figure was at 82.6, up from September's figure of 78.3 and October 2011' index of 60.8. Expectations are also on the rise, with this month's figure coming in at 79. Last month's index was at 73.5, and a year ago it was 51.7.

"Overall, consumers were more confident about economic prospects in October than any other time during the past five years," said University of Michigan economist and director of the Surveys of Consumers Richard Curtin.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 4:38 am .

Consumers will soon flood online retail websites to buy holiday items and gifts, and online retailers are already attempting to draw in more shoppers by launching new marketing campaigns to advertise their promotions and products.

Many businesses that either manage ecommerce sites along with their brick-and-mortar locations or operate only internet stores have begun stepping up their marketing efforts, according to a survey by Shop.org. Rapaport states that 60 percent of online retailers surveyed stated they will begin their promotions in late October, which is a jump from the 53 percent that did so last year. Thirty-eight percent said they will wait until mid-November or shortly thereafter to begin their initiatives.

"For retailers, there is no better time to shine than the holiday season, and it's evident that online retailers are already planning to go the extra mile for their customers this year," said Shop.org's executive director, Vicki Cantrell.

For ecommerce merchants that have yet to launch their marketing campaigns, MarketLive recommends highlighting the most enticing holiday promotions and aspects, such as free shipping. Additionally, steps should be taken to ensure that websites are optimized for mobile devices, as shoppers are increasingly purchasing items by this method.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, October 29th, 2012 at 2:36 am .

American consumers will not only be spreading their holiday cheer to their families and loved ones this holiday season. Retailers should anticipate to see more optimism among shoppers over the coming months, as people begin buying gifts and increase their purchasing amounts from last year.

According to a recent study by Deloitte, approximately half of the consumers surveyed stated they believe the economy will improve within the next year, which is giving them more confidence financially. This could result in a strong holiday shopping season and increased revenues for retailers. Additionally, the research also revealed that only 33 percent of customers said they are going to spend less this holiday season than they did last year. This is the lowest level the figure has been as since 2006. The study's authors said that even though the upcoming presidential election and continuing economic uncertainty are still on the minds of Americans, the next few months will be strong in terms of retail shopping.

This positive news comes after the National Retail Federation (NRF) released a report stating that the organizations expects to see a 4.1 percent increase in holiday sales this year, up from 2011' totals. The NRF estimates that retail purchases will reach $586.1 billion during the season.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, October 26th, 2012 at 5:44 am .

The third quarter proved to be kind to many internet retailers, as recent research has revealed that businesses saw significant increases in both revenue and website visits during the past three months.

A recent study by MarketLive found that for the third quarter, retail revenue rose by 15.9 percent compared to same time last year, Internet Retailer reports. Additionally, the number of website visitors jumped by 12.7 percent year-over-year, which many believe is what led to the successful amount of sales. Online customers increasingly followed through with their purchases on retail sites, as the cart abandonment rate dropped by 2.1 percent during the third quarter. Authors of MarketLive's report stated that more ecommerce merchants are making shopping processes easier for consumers, which is one contributor to the positive results, the website writes.

However, there are still things that internet retailers do that can turnoff shoppers, says Daniweb. The source suggests that online merchants frequently update and improve their sites, both to provide more content and information, but also to fix technical issues and bugs. In addition, a lack of customer feedback and reviews can result in shoppers not trusting products or merchants.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, October 26th, 2012 at 5:44 am .

American consumers are steadily regaining their confidence both in the economy and their own financial conditions as recent research has revealed that sentiment and spending are up. This is good news for retailers, especially as the holiday season approaches. These positive numbers are pointing to signs that this year's holiday purchasing totals will at least meet, if not surpass, last year's amounts.

Consumer spending increasing

A newly released study by Chase, titled the Chase Freedom Lifestyle Index, looked at the recent buying habits of their cardholders and found that for this year's third quarter, spending increased by 4 percent from the same period last year. From the second quarter, there was a 1 percent increase, continuing the trend of rising spending as it jumped by 9 percent between this year's first and second quarters. The research found that there were a variety of factors that contributed to the jumps in purchasing, including boosts in back-to-school shopping, outdoor and leisure activities.

"Consumers are slowly beginning to open their wallets, based on the steady increases in spending we are witnessing," said Phil Christian, general manager of Chase Freedom. "The overall trends suggest that consumers are increasing discretionary entertainment and leisure spending on a year-over-year basis, which is a good sign from an economic recovery perspective. As we enter into the holiday season, we believe the current spending trends point to what is likely to be a strong holiday shopping season in the fourth quarter."

Sentiment also on the rise

Besides spending, another factor that is pointing to a steadily recovering economy is the recent rise in consumer sentiment. According to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's October index, sentiment rose to 83.1, up from 78.3 in September. This month's figure also represents the highest it has been since September 2007. Authors of the report and economists stated that Americans are feeling more optimistic about economic conditions for both the short- and long-term, as the nation's unemployment rate in September fell to 7.8 percent.

"We are getting some quite interesting signals from consumer sentiment and employment data – both (the) unemployment rate and initial claims – that there has been some quite significant improvement in the economy," said David Sloan, an economist at 4Cast.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, October 25th, 2012 at 3:27 am .

The amount of total retail sales for Canadian retailers increased slightly in August, which has many economists hoping for improvement although the country continues to be slow in its recovery from the recent recession.

According to a recently released report from Statistics Canada, retail sales for August reached $39.1 billion Canadian dollars ($39.36 billion), representing a 0.3 percent increase from the previous month. There were some sectors that saw more growth than others, including sporting goods, booksellers and department stores. The source reports that retail sales have increased 2.7 percent year-over-year.

However, Fox Business states that the Canadian economy is still looking for stronger signs of improvement, as the recent numbers actually dropped slightly by 0.3 percent when looking at them on a volume basis. This slight decrease could impact the nation's gross domestic product for August, although those numbers have not yet been made available. Higher food prices are both helping and hurting conditions, as the rise in expenses is one contributor to the initial rise in retail sales amounts for August. However, the higher costs could be having a negative impact on Canadians, as consumers continue to struggle financially, the website states.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, October 25th, 2012 at 3:27 am .