Technology
K12 - “This is U.S. history, I see the globe right there.”
It’s that time of year again; school instruction is coming to a close and Jeff Spicoli is about to get a visit from Mr. Hand to go over the history lessons he ignored (reference: Fast Times at Rid...
Footwear
Déjà Shoe
In the mid-‘90s, as a junior in college, I asked my boyfriend, Ross, (now husband) to buy me shoes for our one-year anniversary, rather than roses. This may have seemed a bit offbeat and forward t...
Sports
Sneakernomics: Fall Sports Recap
Earlier this month, I wrote about the slow start to the spring sports season. Looking at the traditional fall season sports, including soccer, American football and basketball, I am expecting sale...
HomePod is an Interesting Test for Apple
This time last year, when interest in the Amazon Echo and Google Home were at a fever pitch, many observers wondered why Apple hadn’t yet made a voice-activated speaker. After all, Apple has the p...
A Long-Term Proposition
The general thinking around healthy-living has evolved. Instead of “going on a diet,” which is a short-term behavior, more people seem to be thinking of their diet in the broader sense and are foc...
Noise in the Smarter Machine
The lady sitting in front of me on the tram was clearly into her music. She was using headphones, but we could all clearly hear Eric Clapton’s dulcet tones explaining that he would, “wait in this ...
Sports
Sneakernomics: Spring Sports Have Not Yet Sprung
Unconventional springtime weather that’s more akin to the late fall season is having a dampening effect on U.S. team sports equipment sales. With the recent expansion of The NPD Group’s Retail Trackin...
Beauty
The Secret Behind Suncare
One of the things that I love most about my job is that there is so much data available at my fingertips. When I’m looking for a new product to buy, I always turn to NPD data first to see what...
Video Games
Video Game Industry Predictions for Holiday 2017 and What to Watch at E3
2017 has been a fantastic year to be a video game fan. The Nintendo Switch has experienced a strong launch, supported by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Highly ...
Foodservice
The Growing Influence of U.S. Hispanics: Are you Ready?
If you’ve heard me speak in public then you’re well aware of how I describe change in food and beverage habits – slow like the movement of the tectonic plates, but this means you need to take many...
Commercial Technology
I Wouldn’t Do That if I Were You – The Surveillance Market
Physical security and cybersecurity go hand-in-hand with protecting corporate assets; and while news of cybercrime has recently dominated the headlines, issues regarding security as a whole have b...
Sports
Sneakernomics: Golf Sales in Decline
As I wrote about here, the macro environment for golf is pretty unpleasant. Courses are closing, brands are shuttering, retailers are going out of business, and young people are not adopting the g...
All That Glitters…
LeEco’s vision for the U.S. was bright and promising, but a bit more fleeting than some anticipated. The company started that way, with a spectacular launch event that promised an array of hardwar...
Sports
Sneakernomics: The U.S. Team Sports Equipment Marketplace
This week, NPD reached another important milestone with the launch of its team sports equipment tracking service: we now provide the most comprehensive reporting available on the entire universe o...
Sports
Understanding Seasonality in Active Apparel and Footwear
After another cold, harsh winter, the weather in Canada is starting to get warmer and the snow has finally melted away. Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s common for consumers at this time of the year to ...
Toys
Fidgets, games, LEGO tape: Social media puts emerging trends on fast forward
In early April, I searched for fidget toys online. They were in the news thanks to Autism Day, and I was curious to see what was available on my local site in France. There were very few, and they...
Sneakernomics: Here Comes Gen Z, Part 2
In a recent blog I highlighted some of the major differences between Millennials and Generation Z. I get a lot of questions on how to understand the profile and values of Gen Z, and for brands and...
Sneakernomics: Why Q1 Did Not Bode Well for U.S. Athletic Footwear Sales
Contrary to the positive overall results we saw in the first quarter of 2015 and 2016, Q1 was a mixed bag that left the total U.S. athletic footwear market down 3 percent for the first three month...
Sports
Sneakernomics: Here Comes Gen Z, Part 1
I’ve written a lot about Millennials, but there is another cohort, Generation Z, that’s just as large in both scope and influence. While there are similarities between the two, they are distinct e...
Toys
Customization and User-Generated Content Impacts Canadian Toy Industry
Kids today are being raised in a technologically advanced digital world that provides the ability to personalize and customize their gaming and non-gaming online experiences. 87% of Canadian kid...
Retail
Traveling Dollars
Nearly half of consumers recently told NPD they plan to spend less in the next 12 months. Of course, consumers will rarely say they want to or plan to spend more. Then again, if it is something th...
Beauty
Macy’s Shows Consumers How to Match Their Mood with Fragrance
If you weren’t able to visit the annual Macy’s Flower Show in Herald Square earlier this month, you missed a real treat. If you experienced it then you know what I’m talking about. The carnival fl...
More Artificial Than Intelligent
Spring is making a late arrival in New York this year, and the delay is beginning to take its toll. Last week, as I prepared to drive back from the warm, balmy air of Virginia towards New York, I ...
Food Consumption
Are Online Grocers Encouraging Multiple-Stop Shopping?
I sometimes feel in the minority of men when it comes to grocery shopping because I actually don’t mind the task. Between NPD’s and my anecdotal research sources (a.k.a. my friends), men typically...
Fashion Accessories
Fashion vs. Function
I’ve finally done it. I had to. My shoulders couldn’t take it anymore. What major life change am I referring to? I made the switch from tote bag to backpack for work and travel. And it’s great. ...
Apparel
Survival of the Fittest
Ivy Park, Victoria’s Secret, Old Navy, and Calvin Klein are not your “traditional” athletic apparel brands, but they are making their presence known within the activewear category. The definition ...
Beauty
Customization is the Expectation
I like my things a certain way. I order a Grande Iced Caramel Latte with extra caramel at Starbucks; I jump at the opportunity to choose products that I’ll receive in my FabFitFun subscription box...
Four Thousand Pixels Streaming to a TV Near You
Have you streamed video? Of course you have, as the majority of U.S. homes subscribe to a streaming service such as Netflix, Amazon Video or Hulu. Have you watched programming on a 4K TV? Maybe, ...
Technology
Canadians’ Spend on Printing hits 4 year high
Here we are at the start of 2017, years removed from the time when many analysts would not hesitate to tell anyone that would listen that the days of consumers printing are coming to an end. Yet ...
Food Consumption
When It Comes to Defining “Healthy,” It’s Personal
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration started a public process to redefine the “healthy” nutrient content claim for food labeling. They want to make sure the definition for the “healthy” labeling ...
Office Supplies
Women’s Movement Impacts Spending on Office Supplies
Setting political views aside, the women’s movement has positively influenced the sales of office supplies. Demonstrations during the Women’s March took place in over 600 cities around the world. ...
Sports
Sneakernomics: Marketing with Millennials, Part 2
How can brands and retailers better resonate with Millennials, who hold tremendous influence now and in the future? It starts not with knowing, but understanding them. Millennials are focused on ...
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