Riding the wave of warm weather and another strong retail sales report, retailers jumped into the month of April with an extra spring in their step. From consumer research on what to expect for the Spring holidays ahead to NRF’s latest push behind the Retail Means Jobs campaign, read on below for a comprehensive list of what your retail peers found valuable last month.
NRF Information
- The launch of NRF’s nationwide “This is Retail” video contest caught fire last month. Each announcement of the finalists selected for the Top 20, Top 10, and Top 5 were among the ten most visited pages in April. If you haven’t already, take a peek at the library of submissions and get to know the personalities that competed for the title of Best Retail Story in America.
- NRF’s 4-5-4 calendar made the most-visited list for the fourth consecutive month. This voluntary reporting guide for the retail industry ensures sales comparability between years by dividing the year into months based on a 4 weeks – 5 weeks – 4 weeks form.
- Easter hopped up earlier than usual on the April calendar in 2012, but NRF’s Easter survey conducted by BIGinsight stayed hot throughout the month. Aided by an increase in consumer confidence, America’s appetite for holiday treats, gifts and other spring related items had shoppers ready to spend an average of $145.28 on the holiday, up 11 percent from last year.
- With one of the most important holidays on the horizon, retailers flocked to the results of NRF’s Mother’s Day survey conducted by BIGinsight. The survey found that total spending is expected to reach $16.8 billion, with one in four shoppers planning to buy some portion of their gifts online this year.
- Retailers also relied heavily on the results of the NRF Foundation/KPMG Retail Horizons: Benchmarks for 2011, Forecasts for 2012 survey. In this research, retail executives outline why cost-cutting initiatives are out and investing in strategies that will optimize their online and mobile platforms are in this year. The report is available for purchase in hard copy, electronic copy, or by section from the NRF store, and KPMG’s Global Head of Retail Mark Larson discussed some key takeaways from the report following its release.
Top blog posts from Retail’s BIG Blog and Shop.org:
- This is Retail: A look at the numbers (and the impact)
- Cart remarketing: The secret behind online conversion
- Why companies are pulling gift cards off the shelves in New Jersey
- Three retail marketing trends you need to know about now
- Talking with… Gilt Groupe Founder and Chief Merchandising Officer Alexandra Wilkis Wilson
Top retail news stories in NRF SmartBrief: