Are You Honest Enough for Shoppers? 5 Steps to Get There

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We asked shoppers to speak their truths about what they buy, how and why, and learned this: They expect the companies they purchase from to take responsibility for social change and to authentically PROVE it. In short, companies must “show” they are more sustainable, fair and community-focused – across all the media their customers use. Here ... Read more

Retail Leaders Predict Future Success Relies on Engagement

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Retail’s future isn’t simply online or in-store – it’s in a “chameleon consumer” who moves effortlessly through complexity and change. In WSL’s latest Future Shop® podcast, top executives from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Maybelline cultivate new ideas with WSL’s CEO Wendy Liebmann on retail futurism, from the role of supply chain to “ROE.” Where ... Read more

7 Trips from 7 Explorers: WSL’s Best Retail Roundup

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WSL’s experts are committed to examining retail strategies, but we’re regular shoppers, too. So what does the Shopping Life® look like through the eyes of an experienced retail explorer? We share what shoppers told us they expect in the store now, and our own best shopping experiences so far in 2021. How Do We Define ... Read more

Brands Lose Loyalty Online

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Online grocery sales soared by 54% in 2020, creating logistical challenges, but also unintended consequences for brands. As we learn here, buying CPG online raises a loyalty concern for brands. Shoppers surveyed for WSL’s How America Shops® research said they are far more likely to switch brands online than in-store. We delve into the research the ... Read more

What Will Stick for Retailers Post Pandemic and What Won’t

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During the months of the pandemic we have seen an acceleration of shopping behaviors that were already underway, while other more traditional practices are slipping away. One finding is clear: Retailers have proven how effectively they can adapt, and there is no going back. Keep Improving, Retail. The Bar is Rising. Just as no good ... Read more

20 New Shopper Trends Retailers Should Know for 2021

As we look forward to a 2021 full of hope, we decided to look back on what shoppers have taught us this year, which is what retailers and brands will need to deliver next. Here are 20 of the most significant findings from WSL’s 2020 archives. Determination. In the WSL Dictionary of Retail and Shopper ... Read more

Online Retail is Falling Flat – Here’s How to Give it Life

So far, e-commerce has gotten away with just being fast and functional. But in this pandemic, as more shoppers gravitate toward online purchases out of necessity or convenience, it needs to prove it can connect with shoppers more personally. Here are two common-sense ways retailers and brands can engage emotionally, with insights derived from WSL’s ... Read more

These CPG Categories are Going to See a Big Online Lift

Our research indicates that online shopping for basics, including groceries, will continue to lift as more customers are won over by the channel’s safety, price, and ease. People who bought the basic groceries and health products online as a result of the pandemic tell us about their experience and their future plans. One new long-term ... Read more

Can Retailers and Brands Meet Online Shopper Expectations?

COVID-19 is causing an unprecedented number of shoppers to order basic goods for delivery, and many have never before purchased these categories online. What is their experience? Will they be omni grocery shoppers in a post-COVID-19 world? The results from our report, How America Shops® in a COVID-19 Crisis. Online Orders are at Record Levels. ... Read more

Caring During COVID-19 Crisis: Learning from Costco, CVS, Alibaba and Others

The most important acts retailers and brands can take while scrambling to adapt to the COVID-19 epidemic are acts of kindness. Based on the results of our recent “Caring Score” research, shoppers are most likely to stick to those retailers and brands that are proving now that they care about their workers and communities. From ... Read more

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