Anand Kumar, Associate Director of Research

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.

Flash Report | January 17, 2020

Register for Free Access

Gap Scraps Old Navy Spin-Off; Moderately Raises Its Fiscal 2019 Outlook

On January 16, Gap Inc. announced that it had canceled its plans to spin off the Old Navy business, citing investors’ concerns over the complexity of the separation and softer business performance of the brand. Gap Inc. has raised its fiscal year 2019 outlook moderately, owing to better-than-expected promotional levels over the holiday period.

Insight Report | December 26, 2019 Premium

November 2019 Monthly Consumer Update: US, UK and China

US, UK and China consumer data shows a mixed bag in prices, wage growth and consumer spending. This report captures the big picture and what it means for retail as we head into the new year.

Insight Report | December 17, 2019 Premium

US Retail Traffic and In-Store Metrics, November 2019: Traffic Decline Steepens Slightly but Black Friday Performs

US store traffic fell at a faster rate in November than in October. Black Friday outperformed November overall and accounted for the largest portion of traffic during the month but traffic was still down over last year.

Deep Dive | December 17, 2019 Premium

3Q19 US Earnings Season Wrap-Up

Third-quarter 2019 retail earnings show mixed results across categories. Our coverage of the Coresight 100 reveal most companies beat consensus, but there were sectors that fared much better than others—and luxury was one that did not meet expectations despite recent recovery.

Insight Report | December 12, 2019 Premium

November 2019 US Same-Store Sales: Costco Comp Growth Slows

November same-store sales hit by late Thanksgiving that pushed Cyber Monday into December. Costco, Cato and Buckle all reported slowing same-store and in particular online sales growth in November, much attributable to Cyber Monday moving into the following month.

Insight Report | December 10, 2019 Premium

Beauty Insights: What Beauty Retailers Are Offering for the 2019 Holiday Shopping Season

The US beauty sector is expected to see strong sales this holiday season, with consumers indicating that beauty and personal care items will be popular as gifts. We assess the key strategies that major beauty brands and retailers—such as Macy’s, Sephora and Ulta Beauty—are implementing to capitalize on this opportunity.

Insight Report | December 4, 2019 Premium

Ulta Beauty: A Timeline of Key Events

Ulta Beauty timeline: How a mass-market beauty retailer upped its game by moving into more high-end products, carrying digital native and DTC products – and bolstering its loyalty program.

Insight Report | November 27, 2019 Premium

October 2019 Monthly Consumer Update: US, UK and China

Macro economic indicators from the US, UK and China all seem to point to positive – but growth seems unsteady and although positive there remain areas of concern. This report captures the big picture and what it means for retail as we head into the holidays.

Insight Report | November 25, 2019 Premium

Ulta Beauty vs. Sephora: Assessing Loyalty Reward Programs and the Buying Behaviors of Beauty Shoppers

We discuss the success of two dominant US retail chains, Ulta Beauty and Sephora, with a focus on the nature and impact of each retailer’s loyalty program as well as their employment of artificial intelligence and data analytics to drive customer engagement. We also compare the shopping behaviors of Ulta’s and Sephora’s customers using survey data.

Insight Report | November 18, 2019 Premium

US Retail Traffic and In-Store Metrics, October 2019: Traffic Decline Eases Slightly

October US retail traffic and in-store metrics were a mixed bag, with fluctuations week by week and across regions.

Insight Report | November 7, 2019 Premium

Beauty Insights: Brands and Retailers See Strong Growth in Travel Retail

The global travel retail market has witnessed robust growth over the past few years, in part due to the increasing number of Chinese travelers. Beauty brands are now implementing strategies to further increase product sales at airports and other duty-free stores.

Insight Report | October 30, 2019 Premium

September 2019 Monthly Consumer Update: US, UK and China

Each month, 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 | October 18, 2019 Premium

September 2019 US Monthly Retail Traffic and In-Store Metrics: Traffic Decline Steepens

US store traffic and average transaction value fell in September while the conversion rate climbed, with wide regional variations.

Insight Report | October 16, 2019 Premium

Macy’s: A Timeline of Key Events

From 2017 to 2019, Macy’s undertook meaningful steps to reinvent its business. We examine key events from the company’s recent history as part of our Retailers’ Timelines series.

Market Navigators/Market Outlook | October 9, 2019 Premium

Global Male Grooming Market

In this report, we review the global market for male grooming products. We also look at consumer survey data to analyze US shoppers’ habits and shopping preferences.