How to Wrestle a Crisis: 8 Retail Revelations from Helena Foulkes

Helena Foulkes is a rare retail titan. She has spearheaded dramatic transformation as both the former president of CVS Pharmacy, and as CEO of luxury brand Hudson’s Bay Co, and she is a board member at Home Depot. As a cross-channel retail leader, Foulkes has learned how to manage a crisis in real-time. Here, she ... Read more

Stores are Reopening | Lessons for Retailers

As pandemic-related business restrictions ease and retailers reopen, they will be evaluated by how much they show they care about protecting their shoppers. Retailers have an immense responsibility for the attitude and presentation of their stores, in addition to the safety of all inside. We took a few shopping trips and found some good examples, ... Read more

Shoppers Need Mental Relief: How Brands & Retailers Can Help

Consumers have been trying to minimize stress for some time, including in their shopping trips. Now COVID-19 has added an unpredicted level of complexity and angst to that pursuit. We looked into how brands and retailers are easing stress among pandemic-minded shoppers, and came back with three guidelines. Shoppers Need Mental Therapy. How are You ... Read more

WSL Predicts Shopper Behavior Based on Past Crises

More shoppers, uncertain of their financial security in the COVID-19 crisis, are cutting back on spending and avoiding even the temptation to buy unnecessary items. Old staples are new no-no’s, so a new burden is on retailers and brands to help shoppers feel good about the spending choices they do make. Here’s what our own ... 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

Find Out How Retailers are Eliminating Packaging

The fringe movement of sustainability is moving into the mainstream, fast. Nearly 90% of your shoppers are reusing the bottles and bags their products come in, and we predict they will focus on “first-use” packaging next. The WSL “Fill’er Up” report shows how three merchants are eliminating waste and discovered the movement is well beyond ... Read more

What does ‘Change Now’ Mean? 5 Shopping Shifts to Watch

Forget merchandise, Forget promotions. Forget ads. Being a part of change today means accepting that shoppers expect retail to play a fundamentally different role in their lives. And they expect it Now. Our How America Shops® report, “Change Now,” is a real-time example of how much faster change is occurring now. The controversies surrounding climate ... Read more

A New Set of Values is Changing Shopping Life

In 2020, brands and retailers are shifting their focus to paying it forward, with missions that support responsible living, global preservation, inclusion and other practices that support positive change. But how do you prioritize what will make shoppers happy? WSL’s latest How America Shops® research delves into the new shopper values. It’s 2020, Do You ... Read more

WSL Reports Injecting Beauty Into Wellness

If beauty companies want to meet one of the most important players in consumer healthcare today, they should look in the mirror – they are it! Women have decided that their beauty is part of their growing wellness and self-care. Disruptive beauty companies know this and have figured out how to become part of the ... Read more

5 Service Lessons from Ikea’s Manhattan Planning Studio

Ikea’s “planning studio,” to open in April, is bringing the suburbs to the city, which apparently is just where new urban dwellers want it. Here are five ways Ikea is going to redesign the shopping trip. Today’s city-dwellers don’t merely want suburban comforts and amenities, they want to live a suburban, urban life – and ... Read more

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