Anand Kumar, Associate Director of Retail Research

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Insight Report | June 1, 2020 Premium

Earnings Insights 1Q20, Week 2: Evidence of Pent-Up Consumer Demand as US Lockdowns Ease and Stores Reopen

Our weekly Earnings Insights reports feature highlights from recent management commentary at major US retailers as they report first-quarter 2020 earnings. We condense what retail companies are reporting, with a focus on the impact of the coronavirus crisis. This week, there are highlights from companies that reported in the week ended May 31, including Burlington Stores, Dollar General and Ulta Beauty.

Insight Report | May 29, 2020 Premium

April 2020 Monthly Consumer Update: US, UK and China

Analyzing consumer demand in April 2020, it is clear that the month saw the worst impact of the coronavirus in the US and the UK, while China experienced a small rebound.

Insight Report | May 25, 2020 Premium

Earnings Insights 1Q20, Week 1: What US Retailers Are Reporting on the Coronavirus Impact and Outlook

Our weekly Earnings Insights reports feature highlights from recent management commentary at major US retailers as they report first-quarter 2020 earnings. We condense what retail companies are reporting with a focus on the impact of the coronavirus crisis. This week, there are highlights from companies that reported in the weeks ended May 17 and May 24, including Best Buy, Kohl’s and VF Corporation.

Deep Dive | May 19, 2020 Premium

Retail Innovators: Beauty Brands and Retailers

The Coresight Research Retail Innovators series examines how key players and startups are disrupting different retail sectors. In this report, we focus on five innovators in the beauty market: Beautycounter, Glossier, Madison Reed, Nykaa and Perfect Diary. We discuss these industry players in the context of changing consumer demand in the beauty sector, including the influence of social commerce and a heightened emphasis on clean beauty and sustainability.

Insight Report | May 18, 2020 Premium

April 2020 US Retail Sales: Discretionary Sectors Post Huge Declines; Food Stores and Nonstore Retailers Save Total Sales from Double-Digit Fall

With nonessential retail shut down for the full month of April due to the coronavirus, US retail sales nosedived in discretionary sectors, following deep declines in March. Lower levels of food stockpiling by consumers also saw growth slow in the grocery sector.

Insight Report | April 28, 2020 Premium

March 2020 Monthly Consumer Update: US, UK and China

Analyzing consumer demand in March 2020, we can see the substantial impact of the coronavirus in the US and the UK, but a minor rebound for China as the retail sales decline eased.

Insight Report | April 16, 2020 Premium

March 2020 US Retail Sales: Discretionary Sectors Post Deep Declines as Coronavirus-Led Lockdowns Hit Consumer Spending

US retail sales saw deep declines in March, a stark change from the impressive gains made in January and February as large-scale retail shutdowns are implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Deep Dive | April 7, 2020 Premium

New Retail Models in the Global Beauty Market

As part of our series exploring new models of retailing across different sectors and channels, we focus on the innovative strategies being implemented by brands and retailers in the global beauty market, including Sephora and Ulta Beauty. We discuss how brands are leveraging technologies to improve the shopping experience, implementing save-a-sale programs and embracing cross-channel retail to drive shopper engagement.

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.

Insight Report | March 30, 2020 Premium

February 2020 Monthly Consumer Update: US, UK and China

Global consumer markets were buffeted last month as the coronavirus outbreak once limited to one country spread to become a global pandemic. Recent figures show consumer spending took a pounding in China, experienced an uncharacteristic surge in the US and grew in the UK.

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.

Insight Report | March 19, 2020 Premium

February 2020 US Retail Sales: Growth Strengthens as Grocery Stores See Coronavirus-Driven Panic Buying

Retail sales jumped in February following already impressive gains in January. But the wealth was not spread evenly as growth was largely driven by coronavirus panic buying.

Insight Report | February 26, 2020 Premium

January 2020 Monthly Consumer Update: US, UK and China

We analyze key metrics that reflect consumer demand in the US, the UK and China. In these updates, we focus on direct, leading indicators of the health of the consumer economy: wage growth, price changes and retail sales growth.

Insight Report | February 6, 2020 Premium

US Valentine’s Day 2020 Preview: Americans Set To Spend Record-Breaking $27.4 Billion

US consumer spending on Valentine’s Day looks set to break records this year. We see the category expanding as people buy for a wider range of recipients—and the preference for online continues to grow.

Deep Dive | February 4, 2020 Premium

Private Labels in US Beauty and Personal Care

We consider the penetration of private labels in the US beauty and personal care sector over recent years and discuss the impact of contextual factors such as market fragmentation. Private labels remain a hot topic in beauty, particularly in the skincare category, and leading retailers such as Amazon and Walmart debuted private-label beauty products in 2019. We offer our view on why private labels are important for retailers as well as the challenges they present.