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Foodservice
Today’s Realities Are Redefining Foodservice
Convenience is and will always be the chief reason consumers use restaurants, but the definition of convenience changes as consumers’ daily realities change.
Welcome to the neighborhood Nordstrom Rack
It’s been quite some time since Nordstrom announced that they were going to be opening their first Nordstrom Rack store in Canada; and since then, there has been significant buzz around when this was going to happen.
Sports
Sneakernomics: Are You Experienced?
The retail experience has never been more complicated, or more important. NPD’s Matt Powell explores the critical components that make a great experience, and what sports retailers can do about it.
Food Consumption
The Consumer Needs to Be First and Foremost
The consumer backlash against GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the food industry could stem from the fact that the benefits of GMOS were only touted to farmers and agribusiness in the beginning and not to consumers.
Technology
Where Angels Fear To Tread
NPD Connected Intelligence President, Eddie Hold, discusses the advantages and challenges SpaceX may face in its endeavor to create a satellite-based broadband service, known as Starlink.
Commercial Technology
IoT Implications: A World of Pre-Alerts
Mike Diamond, Director, Industry Analysis, Commercial Technology for The NPD Group, looks at how AI will impact B2B software and hardware needs.
Sports
Sneakernomics: Team Sports Equipment Year in Review
Overall for 2017, U.S. team sports equipment sales declined in the single digits, but below the surface it was a mixed bag, with notable pockets of growth.
Office Supplies
A Digital Detox
With many technologies and smart devices at our disposal, consumers nevertheless need a cleanse from the digital stare. New office designs; growth in pen, planner and notebook sales; and trends like bullet journaling and hand lettering, reflect this digital detox.
The March Four’easter
With four snowstorms hitting the Northeast in March, seasons are blurring as late winter/early spring is seemingly colder and snowier than ever. Contrary to early ads touting sandal weather, boot sales in March have grown the last two years, with the top growing cities being New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston.
Toys
Global Toy Industry Opportunities Amid Toys“R”Us Closure
The global toy industry is bracing itself and trying to work out what this ‘reset’ will mean. Who will benefit from Toys “R”Us’ demise; and if it happens globally, which retailers will see this disruption as an opportunity, country by country?
Fragmented Future of TV
To simplify the complex web of live TV options, NPD Connected Intelligence’s John Buffone has distilled the future into four personas. Identify who you most resemble and perhaps learn a new way to access your favorite shows.
Toys
What Toys‟R”Us Closing Means for the Toy Industry
Crunching the numbers, The NPD Group’s Juli Lennett sets the record straight on what will likely happen to the toy industry when Toys‟R”Us closes all its doors in the U.S.
Sneakernomics: What the Sports Industry Can Learn from Beauty
In today’s retail landscape, industries cannot live strictly in their silos, but must learn from each other. Beauty is among the fastest-growing. Here are the top trends driving its success today, and what others like the sports industry can learn from it.
MWC 2018: The Perpetual Déjà Vu of Flagship Smartphones
The heavy promotional push on the Samsung S9 variants by carriers, coupled with the price of the iPhone X, will create the ideal landscape for Samsung to strengthen its foothold in the U.S. market, says Brad Akyuz of NPD’s Connected Intelligence.
Foodservice
Watch Out World, Here Come the Zs!
Although it may be easy to assume that Gen Zs will carry on the attitudes and behaviors of Millennials, that assumption is likely incorrect.
Toys
Post-Toy Fair Blues
Globally, fewer toys were sold during Holiday 2017 than 2016. Why? How can this be overturned? Frédérique Tutt explores how parents shopped, and what opportunities lie between the challenges facing the toy industry today.
Mobile World Congress in Review
This year’s Mobile World Congress is wrapping up and soon everyone will be heading to the airport.
Sports
Sneakernomics: Sports Retail in the Internet Age, Part 2
In my previous blog, I wrote about the ways in which retailers can revolutionize the in-store environment to survive the internet age.
With HomePod, Apple’s Audio Ambitions Come In Crystal Clear
Earlier this month, HomePod pre-orders began shipping, and as of February 9, excited new owners began receiving their speakers.
Sports
Sneakernomics: Sports Retail in the Internet Age, Part 1
In 2017, growth in the U.S. athletic footwear and activewear markets meagerly improved.
Getting them hooked
I gave my daughter, Charlotte, her first phone when she was just five years old. It was hardly an appropriate age, but what’s the point of having kids if you cannot use them in the occasional social experiment.
Telecom and Tapas
It’s nearly time for Mobile World Congress, a show that provides a chance to catch up on the latest mobile solutions, as well as feast on the best tapas and sangria Barcelona has to offer (along with 100,000 of our closest colleagues).
Beneath The Surface
A few months ago, I started thinking about buying a compact camera. My friends thought I was crazy; after all, my smartphone has a pretty good camera.
Commercial Technology
2017 Indirect Channel: A Love-Hate Relationship Heats Up
For 20+ years the IT industry has predicted a cataclysmic event known as the end of the indirect channel.
Beauty
Trust Beyond the Chair
Before the internet and social media, there were no channels for hair professionals to build trust with clients aside from in the salon.
The Smartphone Wall
Huawei is a giant among most smartphone players with an impressive presence in most parts of the world.
Back To Basics
A few years ago a friend of mine was mugged in London. Two men waved knives at him and demanded his wallet, his smartphone... and then his other phone.
Home’s Biggest Challenge in 2018 – Beating 2017
The home industry continues to travel along its growth trajectory, but 2018 may look a little different, merely because 2017 results took such a dramatic leap forward.
Sneakernomics: State of the Outdoor Retail Industry
On the heels of the Outdoor Retailer show, Matt Powell outlines the in-store and online performance of the U.S. outdoor industry stepping into 2018, across apparel, footwear and equipment.
Video Games
2018 US Video Game Market Predictions
The console and PC games markets had an amazing 2017.
Sports
Sneakernomics: Solutions for the Sports Retail Industry
In my annual predictions here, I explained why 2018 is positioned to be another mediocre year for the U.S. sports industry, as it is following in the footsteps of the tepid sales growth, heavy promoting, and weak profits of 2017.
Video Games
Mat’s 2017 US Video Game Market Prediction Results
Now that 2017 full year data for the video game category from The NPD Group is in the books (check out our video for all the detail), it’s time to get the report card.