Insight Report | March 6, 2020 Premium 2020 Tax Tracker, Week 4: Tax Filings Set To Catch Up with Last YearAs of week four of the US tax refund season, the number of returns processed by the IRS versus the prior year has returned to normal after a brief hiatus. Read More
Insight Report | March 4, 2020 Premium 2020 Tax Tracker, Week 3: IRS Holds EITC and ACTC Refunds, Tax Filings Still Down Versus Last YearIn our series on the US tax refund season, we examine where we are (or, more precisely, where the IRS is) in receiving, processing and issuing tax refunds. As of week three, the number of returns processed was down significantly from last year, but the amount refunded was down even more. Read More
Insight Report | February 19, 2020 Premium 2020 Tax Tracker, Week 2: Tax Filings Narrow the Gap with Last Year, Refunds Still DownWhile tax returns and refunds are progressing slightly more slowly this year than last, the IRS expects the pace to increase in the two weeks following the President’s Day long weekend. Read More
Insight Report | February 18, 2020 Premium Consumer Tech Briefing: Retailers Drive Customer Engagement through AR TechnologyEach month, our Consumer Tech Briefing series discusses recent developments in the world of technology. This month, we focus on recent product launches involving augmented reality technology. Read More
Insight Report | February 13, 2020 Premium The 4-5-4 US Retail Calendar, 2020–21: Your Guide to the Retail YearThe 4-5-4 US retail calendar is a guide to the fiscal year ending January 30, 2021. The calendar is used by many US retailers; it ensures comparability between years by dividing the year into months based on a 4 weeks–5 weeks–4 weeks format. Read More
Insight Report | February 12, 2020 Premium 2020 Tax Tracker, Week 1: Tax Season Off to a Slow Start with 1.6% Decline in FilingsThe IRS kicked off the 2020 tax filing season on January 27 when it began accepting tax returns for 2019. The IRS expects to process over 150 million individual tax returns in 2020. Read More
Insight Report | January 29, 2020 Premium Super Bowl 2020 Preview: Football Fans Expected To Spend Record-Breaking $17.2 Billion This YearSuper Bowl LIV set to drive record-breaking consumer spending as fans gear up for the final event of the football season. Unsurprisingly, fans in the South and West are set to increase spending the most, while those in the Midwest and Northeast plan to spend less. Read More
Deep Dive | January 27, 2020 Premium US Drugstores Adapt to a Digital Age within Healthcare and BeautyWith the drugstore retail sector evolving in the face of digital disruption, we explore how two traditional pharmacy chains—CVS and Walgreens—are responding to competition from e-pharmacy startups and other online rivals. We discuss a number of key strategies that the two companies are implementing to expand their offerings. Read More
Insight Report | January 23, 2020 Premium Consumer Tech Briefing: AI Underpins CES Product Launches from Samsung, LG and L’OréalEach month, our Consumer Tech Briefing series discusses recent developments in the world of technology. This month, we focus on some of the product launches we saw at CES 2020, including AI-driven technology from Samsung and L’Oréal. Read More
Insight Report | January 21, 2020 Premium December 2019 UK Holiday 2019 Retail Sales and Trading Review: December Recovery Too Modest To Rescue Total Holiday SalesWith soft total growth, UK retail saw a weak 2019 holiday season overall. Beneficiaries of shifts to e-commerce and discount channels were the exceptions. Read More
Deep Dive | January 2, 2020 Premium Rental, Subscription and Resale: How Companies Are Tapping DemandUnder pressure from subscription and rental services, mainstream retailers are launching rental services of their own and teaming up with digital natives. We’re seeing brick-and-mortar retailers strike collaboration deals with online subscription services, launch their own services—and be acquired as digital natives look for physical space. Read More
Flash Report | December 13, 2019 Register for Free Access Kroger and Walgreens Deepen Year-Old Partnership with Purchasing AllianceNew Walgreens-Kroger alliance seeks to cut costs, enhance efficiency—and fend off the ever-encroaching Amazon menace. The two companies will buy more products together, sell one another’s private labels and integrate supply chains. Read More
Deep Dive | December 6, 2019 Premium Holiday 2019: Retailers Harness the Power of Social MediaContinuing our Holiday 2019 series, we outline the popularity of social media channels among holiday shoppers for gift inspiration and promotion tracking. We discuss the engagement of selected retailers—including Amazon, Target and Walmart—and outline their holiday campaigns heading into the holiday season. Read More
Deep Dive | December 3, 2019 Premium Aldi and Lidl Global UpdateAldi and Lidl are growing store numbers, adjusting formats to serve regional markets and moving further into e-commerce. We discuss global developments and growth metrics, with a focus on the US, the UK and China. Read More
Deep Dive | November 26, 2019 Premium Holiday 2019: Hottest ToysContinuing our Holiday 2019 series, we outline key trends that we think are going to influence toy gifting in the US this shopping season. We also consider the competitive strategies of major players in the toys and games sector, including Amazon and Walmart. Read More
