Featured Insights
2017 Canada Music Year-End Report
The music industry in Canada has never been stronger with record consumption, growing live music attendance and a new class of emerging artists.
Perspectives on Retail Technology Vol 2 Issue 2
The world is increasingly complex, instrumented and virtual. There’s vast amounts of information about consumers and the factors that influence their behavior that simply didn’t exist in the data warehouse era. Here, we take a closer look at how all this data will affect retail when it comes...
Q2 2017 Consumer Confidence Report
Global consumer confidence showed signs of continued improvement in the second quarter of 2017, with an index score of 104, which was up three points from quarter four 2016.
Consumer Disloyalty is the New Normal
A whopping 46% of consumers tell us they are more likely to try new brands than they were five years ago; a clear signal to a trend we should expect to intensify. Yet we see few signs that adjustments have been made to marketing initiatives or innovation pipelines to match these numbers.
Combating the Long Tail with Data Science
You don't have to look far to see rapidly growing or already mature 'disruptors' in retail and manufacturing, but the long tail of market disruption goes way beyond that in today's age of consumer disloyalty.
My Relationship with a Biscuit Pack
My experience with the orange pack of biscuits is typical of how shoppers interact with product packs. Packs catch the shopper’s attention at the “Zeroth moment of truth”—when the shopper is in front of a screen. They then catch the shopper’s attention in front of the shelf—that’s the...
How Will the CBD and Cannabis Craze Impact Drugstore Businesses?
While it’s still too early to predict the future impact of legal cannabis on the mainstream U.S. retail market, we do know that demand and consumer interest is present and certainly growing.
Quality Data Equals Truth Sets, and Nothing Less
AI is enabling companies to better understand how consumers are shopping, why they shop and most importantly, predict what consumers will buy in the future. This is fundamentally shifting how companies explore product development cycles, pricing models and understandings of how to change the minds...
Becoming Shopper-Centric: Price, Promotion and the Overall Value Equation
By placing the shopper at the center of decision making, manufacturers can better collaborate with their retailer partners to address the inefficiencies of trade spend—one of the largest costs of doing business.
Meat and Dairy Alternatives are a Catalyst for Grocery Store Sales in Canada
Tofu, tempeh, quinoa and edamame, may sound like nonsensical words to some, but to others, these high protein, non-meat and dairy alternatives have become shopping basket staples.
Mindful Cosmetics Consumers Want Beauty with Heart
There are many ways to create a community of beauty consumers that are loyal to retailers and brands. But don’t be overwhelmed: It’s not too late to join the conversation with your beauty consumers—they’re listening, and they’re more than happy to connect directly with you to provide...
Global Economic Conditions Ended 2018 on an Upbeat Note, But Market Conditions Vary Around the World
At a macro level, economic conditions around the globe ended 2018 on an upbeat note. Global consumer confidence was at its highest level in 14 years, but 39 of the 64 countries included in the global Consumer Confidence Index reported declines in consumer sentiment.
Quarter By Numbers: Q4 2018
Fast-moving consumer goods and GDP growth in Q4 2018 was strongest in Asia-Pacific, and consumers in the region feel the best globally about their financial well-being. Comparatively, only 37% of consumers in Europe believe their conditions have improved over the past five years.