Fluence Media's Blois Olson shares his perspective on electorate trends and the legislative session at a December MnRA member event.   

From the Retail DIVE, Daphne Howland, January 4, 2017

"Holiday spending rose 16% to $711 on average over 2015, according to the Post-Holiday Shopping Survey from global real estate organization the International Council of Shopping Centers. Spending was also 4% more than consumers surveyed in October intended to spend.

The survey found mobile use was widespread, but phones weren't used for purchasing so much as for other shopping activities: 86% of Millennials used a smartphone while shopping in stores and 96% of those made a purchase. More than half (52%) used their phones to check prices, 40% checked product availability, 37% got coupons or discounts and 33% checked reviews.

Consumers spent $897 on average this holiday season including dining out and entertainment like movies. Gen Xers spent $1,000 on average, while Baby Boomers averaged $875 and Millennials averaged $867. But Millennials packed more "experiences" spending than their elders at $220 on average; in all, experience-based spending was some 20% of holiday spending this year."
 

From the Retail DIVE, Sandy Skrovan, January 5, 2017

"Grocery retail is undergoing dramatic shifts driven by changing consumer needs and expectations, technology advancements and a fierce competitive environment.

More changes can be expected as this year unfolds. Progressive grocers will continue to transform business models and tap new ways to attract and retain shoppers as they transition to compete in an ever-evolving grocery landscape.

Here's a closer look at seven trends to keep an eye on in 2017.

1. Offline and online convergence
2. Figure out the last mile
3. Marketing dollars channeled toward social media
4. Transparency throughout the supply chain
5. Shopping experience over price
6. Empowering frontline employees
7. Personalization enabled by big data and analytics"  

From the National Retail Federation, J. Craig Shearman, January 19, 2017

"Retailers don't import merchandise unless they think they can sell it."

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.64 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in November, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was down 1.6 percent from October since most imported holiday merchandise had already arrived but up 11.2 percent from November 2015. Global Port Tracker had previously predicted a year-over-year increase of 3.6 percent. One TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

December was estimated at 1.54 million TEU, up 7 percent year-over-year rather than the 3.2 percent that had been expected."
 

From the Retail DIVE, Laura Ewen, January 4, 2017

"It looks like 2017 is going to be a stable, but not spectacular, year for apparel retail. According to a report released by Moody's in mid-December, the sector can expect sales growth of 6% to 8%, led primarily by direct-to-consumer channels and international growth.

However, the same report anticipates apparel and footwear sellers losing consumer dollars to healthcare, rent, home-related products, electronics and cars.

But the truth is that predictive articles about the year to come tend to focus on benchmarks rather than visionary ideas, and while analyzing numbers can be helpful, it's rarely fanciful or fun. For that reason, it's perhaps more helpful to look at ideological shifts within the apparel retail industry. On the plus side, this is a terrific time for new ideas and unusual thinking: In particular, the coming months are likely to see innovations both technological and experiential, and these changes will affect how consumers interact with retailers - and with each other. Look for words such as "omnichannel" to eventually become outdated, because all shopping will be omnichannel by definition. Also look for "online" and "offline" to increasingly become interchangeable, as shoppers and stores learn to use technology more intuitively.

These changes will have wide-ranging effects on what consumers wear, what they buy, how they shop and where they shop. And while some of these trends might be more imaginative than prognosticative, all of them speak to what analysts, experts, and forecasters expect to see - maybe not this year, necessarily, but soon.

1. More of the same
2. New retail concepts emerge
3. Personalization and custom experiences
4. Athleisure morphs, grows
5. Subscription services
6. Smart stores
7. The phone as store"

Retail Trends 

Your Trends:  

How Were Holiday Sales? Share Your Holiday Season Sales Observations With MnRA  

     

The day after the Christmas holiday, talk radio, television, and online news outlets lit up with stories of holiday sales numbers. 

 

   

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