The vast majority of retailer say they’re not worried about “showrooming.” But their actions indicate differently: Toys R Us joins the group of stores matching prices with online competitors.
Retail
The Weird Reason Consumers Write Bad Online Reviews for Products They Never Bought
It’s not complicated why people write fake online reviews: The goal is to help a company out, either by praising its services or products and pumping up its ratings, or by bashing the competition with a scathing critique. But researchers have another theory about why some consumers—with apparently no axe to grind or financial interests …
Decoding the Secret Language of Price Tags
Why do the prices at retailers like Costco and Target usually end in .99, but occasionally feature a quirky 7 or 4 for items in the clearance section? Obsessive shopping experts and store employees have been leaking the “secrets” …
In the Craft Beer World, a Pecking Order Emerges
Not all suds claiming the “craft beer” label are created equal. Which beers are considered to be the height of pure unadulterated craft production, and which do beer geeks consider barely a step up from Bud?
Halloween in August? Christmas in October? This Annoying Retail Trend Is Here to Stay
You’re probably still slathering on sunblock and vacuuming sand out of your car, so why are stores already displaying Halloween merchandise?
In Extra Competitive Back-to-School Season, Retailers Roll Out Big (and Quirky) Deals
The 2013 back-to-school shopping period hasn’t represented boom times for retailers — so stores have felt forced to be extra creative in their attempts to attract shoppers
That Craft Beer You’re Drinking Isn’t Craft Beer. Do You Care?
Beer drinkers don’t encounter the word “microbrew” much anymore. The preferred term now is “craft beer.” But there’s much discussion—and quite a bit of bitterness—about which brews are truly deserving of the label.
If It’s Tuesday, Best Buy Must Be Laying Workers Off
What’s the best day of the week for laying off employees? A certain well-known electronics retailer has apparently settled on Tuesday.
Turns Out You Only Think You’re Spending Less Money
American consumers claim that they’re not spending as much money this year on restaurants, bar tabs, home purchases, and other key categories. The actual consumer spending data tells a different story.
Meet the Low-Key, Low-Cost Grocery Chain Being Called ‘Walmart’s Worst Nightmare’
Retail analysts say the world’s biggest retailer has reason to fear a small grocery chain that’s based in Idaho and boasts a business model that allows it to undercut Walmart on prices.
Millennials Wanted: 10 Classic Brands Being Tweaked to Appeal to Young Consumers
With a nip here and a tuck there, Madison Avenue is putting new faces on old brands that young shoppers tend to disdain as, well, just too old-fashioned.
How Two German-Owned Sister Supermarket Brands Became Hot Trendsetters in the U.S.
No matter their small selections and the near absence of brands you’d recognize: Trader Joe’s and Aldi are winning top honors in consumer surveys and proving to be enormously influential in the supermarket business.