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US Back to School 2020: Consumer Survey Update—Further Shift of Spending from In-School to Digital Learning

Part of our US Back to School 2020 series, we provide an update on consumer attitudes toward the back-to-school season, based on a recent Coresight Research survey of US consumers. We discuss our findings across three key topics—spending expectations, concerns about Covid-19 and attitudes toward in-store versus online shopping—with a focus on in-school versus online learning.

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US Store Closures: Apparel Sector Accelerates Toward Record Number of Store Closures

Store closures are continuing to mount across various discretionary sectors in the US retail industry against the backdrop of Covid-19—with the apparel sector having seen a high number of permanent closures and bankruptcies so far in 2020. We provide an overview of these developments and discuss the outlook for the sector over the remainder of the year.

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Retail Robustness Index: August 2020 Update—Higher Scores Due to Increases in Store Reopenings

Coresight Research’s Retail Robustness Index evaluates the 100 largest US retailers (by revenue) on their ability to weather dramatic shifts in demand as the Covid-19 lockdowns began. The August update updates the scores based on financial reports and store-reopening announcements. Alongside the report, our infographic summarizes key changes since the previous Retail Robustness Index update in July.

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US Back to School 2020: The Outlook for Retail amid Uncertainty and a Gloomy Economic Backdrop

Launching our US Back to School 2020 series, we outline our expectations for the season this year, which is being shaped by the coronavirus crisis. We discuss the core market drivers behind our estimates of consumer spending in the US—including consumer focus on health and safety, the impact of Covid-19 on discretionary retail, potential school and college reopening models and the economic backdrop.

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Livestreaming E-Commerce Takes Off in the US

China has a relatively mature livestreaming e-commerce market, but we are now also seeing momentum in the US as brands and retailers further explore the use of social media platforms to engage with consumers and boost sales. We discuss selected retailers’ and social media platforms’ moves into livestreaming e-commerce in the US and consider the impact of in-video checkout functionality and social media influencers on consumer shopping behavior.

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Open for Business with Chris Baldwin, BJ’s Wholesale Club: Empathy and Personalization in Club-Store Retail

As part of our Open for Business webinar series, we hosted Chris Baldwin, Chairman of BJ’s Wholesale Club. We present an edited transcript from this webinar, in which Baldwin offered insights into changing consumer demand amid the coronavirus crisis—covering key topics such as personalization and assortment localization.

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