Done well, loyalty programs can help drive more frequent visits and heavier purchasing. More than seven in 10 global respondents (72%) agree that, all other factors equal, they’ll buy from a retailer with a loyalty program over one without.

Consumers around the world are increasingly focused on clean eating and the benefits of eating more healthfully, with 70% of global respondents saying they actively make dietary choices to help prevent health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

Modern retail has long been guided by a powerful premise: the bigger, the better. But the retail landscape is shifting, and this mantra no longer holds true in all cases. This report explores the pain and pleasure points in global consumers' shopping experiences.

Imagine a grocery store where you can receive personal recommendations and offers the moment you step in the store, where checkout takes seconds and you can pay for groceries without ever taking out your wallet. Sound far-fetched? It’s closer than you think.

We’ve just completed a year of transformation in the retail industry, and looking at 2015, it looks like change will remain constant. But change brings opportunity, even within the familiar. Where to begin? Look to the shelf.

Health and wellness are hot topics around the globe, and they have been for years. Despite the immense amount of attention devoted to the topic, however, the obesity rate is high—and rising. The good news, however, is that consumers around the world are taking steps to take charge of their health.

Perceptions about private-label brands are favorable around the world, but value shares are not correspondingly distributed; they are much higher in developed regions like Europe, North America and Australia.

Who doesn’t love a good snack? As snack manufacturers look to tailor offerings to deliver snacks that appeal to both the palate and the psyche, knowing what drives a consumer to pick one snack rather than another is vital to stay competitive in the $374 billion worldwide snacking industry.

U.S. grocers need to gear up for the opportunity online.

While consumers are more engaged with food than ever, many have less time for planning and preparing home cooked meals. Growing hunger for convenience—a broad and evolving need—will continue to affect the entire store in 2014.