May21
Is the lack of “bad” economic news affecting consumers’ spending habits and sentiment in a good way? Bloomberg recently reported that confidence in the economy climbed to the highest level in almost six years in May as rising real estate values and record stock prices boosted household wealth. And NRF’s latest consumer survey conducted by Prosper [...]
May15
Graduation season is upon us, and high school and college seniors across the country are looking forward to their next journey in life. As graduates scramble to set their summer plans, whether it’s an internship in the big city or vacationing with friends, there’s one thing the rest of us are preparing for – purchasing [...]
May07
In the final hours before the Senate’s historic Monday night vote to approve sales tax fairness legislation, NRF executives took to the airwaves to argue that “a sale is a sale” when it comes to requiring online sellers to collect sales tax the same as local stores. NRF Senior Vice Presidents David French and Ellen [...]
Apr26
Born to a generation where “having it all” seemed commonplace, today’s millennials are known for a variety of perceptions, such as being labeled “trophy kids” and having “helicopter parents.” I’m hardly a millennial expert, but I do know that adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have a very interesting story to tell. Generational [...]
Mar25
NRF’s annual survey found Americans are letting the Easter Bunny know they’ll be staying on budget this year. But the millions who celebrate plan to be creative when it comes to jumping on deals for chocolates, candy and colorful apparel. Explore the numbers below to see how much shoppers will spend and where they’ll find [...]
Mar21
Just over two years ago, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay announced his strategic plan for NRF. In that plan was a creation of an executive staff that would enhance the organization’s visibility among policymakers in Washington and retail executives around the world. Among those named to that executive team was Vicki Cantrell, chosen to [...]
Mar15
Avid bikers, frequent fliers and public transportation commuters may not apply, but high costs of gas around the country are causing some people to think twice about their discretionary spending decisions, including when and if they will make a major purchase, take that extra trip to the grocery store, or even head out of town for the weekend. And, [...]
Feb21
Tax season is here, and millions of Americans are preparing for the April 15 filing deadline. For many, tax season is a time of great stress; for others it’s a time to start thinking about what to do with the extra hard-earned money. But recent changes in federal tax law that decrease the take-home pay of [...]
Feb14
It’s always helpful to have a roadmap. Just 20 years ago we relied on big paper maps to get around cities and winding country rounds. For today’s travels we use websites, smartphones and in-car navigation to get us where we need to go. In retail, knowing which turn to take in the technology world starts [...]
Feb05
As our survey showed before the big game, over three quarters of Americans look to ads during the Super Bowl as entertainment. And whether they’re heartfelt or comical, the buzz of which brand’s tactics “won the night” often rivals fans’ excitement for the winning team. After she had a full day to digest the commercials [...]
