Gated Deep Dives

Access research reports and presentations on the retail and technology ecosystem, including consumers, companies, economies, and retail and technology trends. Use the filters below to find research reports and presentations by sector, theme, company or other parameters. Alternatively, use the search box above to find relevant research content.

Deep Dive | April 2, 2020 Premium

4Q19 US Retail Inventory Tracker: Higher Inventory Turnover Due to Solid Holiday Sales and Disciplined Approaches

In our quarterly US Retail Inventory Tracker reports, we analyze inventory trends among those US retailers listed in the Coresight 100. We look at the inventory levels of various retailers in 4Q19 and assess why levels may have changed from the year-ago period. The coronavirus crisis means 4Q trends will not be an accurate guide to 2020, but those retailers heading into the storm with cleaner stock levels will enjoy an advantage over more heavily stocked rivals.

Deep Dive | April 1, 2020 Premium

Pinduoduo: What’s Driving Growth for China’s Group-Buying Platform

Pinduoduo launched in 2015 and has quickly become the fastest-growing major e-commerce platform in China. In market capitalization, Pinduoduo trails giants Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan and JD.com, but recently overtook Baidu.

Deep Dive | March 31, 2020 Premium

Coronavirus Insights: A Look Back To Look Ahead—The Great Recession of 2007–2009 and Today

We look back at the Great Recession of 2007–2009, to apply learnings from the sales performance of the US retail industry to the current coronavirus situation. We break down our analysis of the impact of the recession on the retail industry by sector and consider the implications for how retailers will fare the coronavirus pandemic.

Deep Dive | March 31, 2020 Premium

US Social Commerce Survey: Where Social Media Users Shop and How Much They Spend

We discuss the shopping behavior of US consumers that use social media in the shopping journey, as part of our report series exploring social commerce. Based on findings from a Coresight Research proprietary survey, we explore where consumers shop, away from social media, as well as their monthly spending behaviors.

Deep Dive | March 26, 2020 Premium

Amazon India and Flipkart: Head to Head

India’s marketplace-led e-commerce landscape is far less developed than China’s or its Western counterparts, but it’s growing quickly, from just $39 billion in 2017 to an expected $64 billion in 2020. Homegrown marketplace platform Flipkart realized this early on and enjoyed nearly unrivalled dominion over the Indian market until Amazon entered the fray in 2013.

Deep Dive | March 24, 2020 Premium

Esports: How Brands Can Leverage Gaming To Reach Targeted Audiences

The esports industry is seeing a growing number of viewers, particularly with the impact of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak meaning that people are spending more time at home on their devices. We discuss how brands and retailers can leverage the rising popularity of competitive video gaming to sell and market their products, particularly in China and the US.

Deep Dive | March 23, 2020 Premium

US Social Commerce Survey: The Impact of Social Media on Shopping Behavior

We discuss the use of social media by US shoppers, as part of our report series exploring social commerce. Based on findings from a Coresight Research proprietary survey, we explore how often consumers use social media platforms to research, discover and buy products across multiple categories. In addition, we consider the impact of celebrities and influencers on US social media shoppers.

Deep Dive | March 23, 2020 Premium

4Q19 US Earnings Season Wrap-Up

Fourth-quarter 2019 retail earnings show that many companies across the retail industry saw strong growth. However, our coverage of the Coresight 100 reveals that the CPG and department-store sectors bucked this trend, with the latter continuing to struggle. Companies across the board have updated their guidance due to coronavirus disruption in the supply chain and demand in Asia, but we are yet to see updates based on the spread of the virus to the US, with the nation moving closer to lockdown.

Deep Dive | March 19, 2020 Premium

RetailTech: Sensormatic Solutions—Johnson Controls’ Retail Tech Foundry

Johnson Controls has for decades dominated the retail security sector, helping stores manage shrink with innovative digital solutions. Now, the company is leveraging its dominant market position to launch new digitally enabled service offerings.

Deep Dive | March 19, 2020 Premium

US Off-Price Retail: Two Companies Dominate the Market

Consumer demand remains high for off-price retail in the US. We present the defining characteristics of this typically brick-and-mortar market and discuss the top retailers by US market share—including Burlington, Nordstrom, Ross Stores and TJX Companies, Inc—with two players being particularly dominant. This report also discusses the physical footprint expansion of selected retailers, the role of e-commerce, growing product categories in the market and how traditional department stores are leveraging off-price channels.

Deep Dive | March 18, 2020 Premium

America’s Changing Shopping Centers: Part 1—Where the Mall Stands Now

The first report in our series America’s Changing Shopping Centers offers a data-rich exploration of where malls stand now. In particular, we look at how the rationalization of mall space has lagged store closures, suggesting a correction could be overdue.

Deep Dive | March 17, 2020 Free Report

Innovator Intelligence: Can Personalization and Data Privacy Co-Exist?

We examine how Anagog is disrupting the personalization market in retail through its smartphone-based AI technology, which enables businesses to make personalized offers based on their customers’ real-world behavior in real time. We also discuss data privacy concerns and growing consumer expectations.

Deep Dive | March 16, 2020 Premium

US Social Commerce Survey: Instagram, Influencers and Shopping

We discuss the use of Instagram by US shoppers, as part of our new report series exploring social commerce. Based on findings from a Coresight Research proprietary survey, we explore how often consumers use the photo- and video-sharing social platform to research, discover and buy products across multiple categories. In addition, we consider the impact of Instagram influencers on US social media shoppers.

Deep Dive | March 9, 2020 Premium

Retail Innovators: Home-Furnishing Retailers

The Coresight Research Retail Innovators series examines how key players and startups are disrupting different retail sectors. In this report, we focus on three innovators in the home-furnishing market: DTC brand Burrow, furniture rental startup Fernish and design platform Modsy. We discuss these relatively new industry players in the context of changing consumer preferences in the furniture sector, including increasing demand for convenience and a heightened emphasis on sustainability.

Deep Dive | March 3, 2020 Premium

New Retail Models in E-Commerce: Opportunities To Accelerate Growth

As part of our series exploring new models of retailing across different sectors and channels, we focus on the innovative strategies being implemented by major e-commerce players in China and the US, including Alibaba and JD.com. We discuss how online platforms are using technologies to improve the shopping experience, implementing extended features such as dropshipping and alternative payment options, helping brands to adopt consumer-to-manufacturer business models and launching creative initiatives to extend their reach to customers.