Retail
Nothing can replace the experience of going into a store and seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and touching the physical products. While online sales keep growing, successful retailers must know how to work both on- and offline.
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Retail
- November 2011
Kings of Convenience
Vending machines have been around for ages, but there’s no end to the things they sell, or how they are presented to consumers. The most important part to remember is, convenience conquers all.
- September 2011
School’s in
With markets in Europe and the US looking grim, the retail sector is doing its best to make a comeback. The back-to-school segment, where new gadgets are becoming must-buys for school, is scoring top marks.
- July 2011
Your phone…the new store
Consumers often look at brands to fulfill their needs. Now, as mobile shopping becomes hot, brands can engage their consumers via their phones to get more involved with the brand.
- February 2011
The Price is Right?
It comes as no surprise that price is a main factor in a consumer’s attitude to products and brands. As such, most consumer research focuses on the relationship between consumers and price. Does the product cost too much or too little? The most common occurrence of this is the simple price-demand curve, and while it is clearly important, a decision as important as setting a product price needs to include other considerations as well.
- February 2011
The lowdown on High Street
High fashion houses are widening their consumer base by collaborating with high street chains. With more and more crossover, do high fashion houses risk losing their chic edge? And what does the accessibility of high-end labels mean for the casual consumer?
- February 2011
Cosmetic changes
As environmental concerns become more and more mainstream, the cosmetics market is showing some interesting new trends. Now, some of the fashion industry’s biggest names are taking the initiative by going green.
- November 2010
Collect and go
Prior to the boom of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, group online shopping in Asia was never that popular. But with internet evolution and consumer sentiment rebounding collective buying is gaining full force to offer consumers more value for their money.
- November 2010
India: Where to now?
It's easy to have a changing relationship with India – people love its colourful culture and rich heritage but lament about its infrastructure that is struggling to keep up with the country’s rapid economic growth. Find out more about Synovate's research in this area, commissioned by Businessworld magazine.
- September 2010
Women on Top
Cue 2010 and a paradigm shift. Call it Girl Power, call it Women on Top, call it whatever you want, but there is a distinct trend for blokes to be the homemaker – more concerned with bargain blackberries than bargaining via their BlackBerrys – and leaving it to their spouse to bring home the metaphoric bacon.
- August 2010
The style spies
Monitoring the markets and working in the office all day leaves little time for a professional working man to stay in style. Yes, nipping off to a newsstand and buying a fashion magazine to read is an option. However, male fashion fans are finding it's much easier to visit their favourite websites, and get instant help from a willing army of fashion bloggers, who act as style spies.
- August 2010
Desktop destroyers
It’s clearly the age of mobile technology in which laptops, notebooks and the recent advent of hybrid tablet devices like the iPad, of which 3 million were sold within the first 80 days of its US launch, appear to be ruling the IT roost. With tablets estimated to account for 23% of all US PC sales by 2015, and sales of mobile PCs estimated to account for over 68% of all PCs sold worldwide by 2014, the writing seems to be on the wall. Are the days of the desktop, the predecessor of these new fangled devices, literally numbered?
- July 2010
Don’t worry, be happy
Nearly two years after the global recession sent shockwaves around Asian markets, consumers in Asia appear to have put recessionary fears firmly behind them and are anticipating a period sustained economic growth.
- July 2010
Health comes home
Technology that used to belong only in sports laboratories or doctor’s surgeries is rapidly finding its way into the home. All sorts of affordable, interactive devices are now available to help you monitor your own health and fitness levels from within your own living room or while on your favourite training route.
- June 2010
Building the hits of tomorrow
New music artists are achieving their dreams of stardom, including great sales, fans, hitting the charts and critical success, all without the marketing support of a major record label. How are they doing it? We find out in part two of a music investigation, with a focus on the role brands are playing.
- May 2010
In too deep?
Three-dimensional images have been a part of photographic history since the very early days of image reproduction, but the technology is now at point where electronics manufacturers feel confident about taking it to the mass home market. With everything from the World Cup to Avatar being presented in 3D, are consumers ready to take the plunge?
- May 2010
Building the hits of tomorrow
New music artists are achieving their dreams of stardom, including great sales, fans, hitting the charts and critical success, all without the marketing support of a major record label. How are they doing it?
- May 2010
Tucking into food trends
A look at how eating from local sources, keeping close tabs on sustainability and staying at home to dine are shaping the way people eat in 2010.
- May 2010
The new experience of luxury
‘Luxury’ is perhaps the most overused term in the marketing industry’s vocabulary, selling everything from hotels to toilet paper. However, because the globe’s richest are today able to afford most things material, their focus has moved towards using their money to discover otherwise unobtainable experiences and adventures.
- April 2010
Leave it to the experts
Unique products that reflect one’s taste, personality, and lifestyle are the ultimate sign of sophistication and identity. In the past, only the wealthy could afford custom-made products but nowadays, everything can be customised. Mass customisation is something companies can and should adopt to gain a competitive advantage over rivals.
- January 2010
Playing the retail game
Manchester City Football Club is complementing its on-pitch revolution with wide spread changes to retail operations, combining ticketing operation, call centre, and store and customer service centre into a purpose-built facility.
- January 2010
Intimate and interactive
With one-click online shopping and overnight delivery rapidly becoming the standard, retail stores are enticing shoppers by making shopping into a full-sensory experience.
- January 2010
Turning a page (with a click)
Dog eared pages or scuffed up screens? The battle for readers’ eyeballs is heating up and to the victorious hardware manufacturer will go the publishing spoils - but no clear winner has yet to emerge.
- December 2009
Keeping it real this Christmas
The blindingly obvious fact is that Christmas 2009 will not be a great one for retailers. What discretionary income does exist will be spent much more frugally. But retailers who tap into consumers' desire for "authenticity" still have a lot to gain.
- October 2009
‘Checking out’ global grocery shopping
Most of us do it. Some of us reluctantly, some of us with a sense of anticipation and pleasure. Grocery retailers need to take into account myriad attitudes and approaches and make the experience satisfying for customers.
- September 2009
(No) fear of flying
Unemployment remains high in the United States, with the figure hitting 15.2% in Michigan. And yet, that grim economic situation does not mean folks are resisting the urge to spend money—even on luxuries like balloon rides.
- September 2009
From Zero to Sixty in One Government Program
Tim Healey takes a look at today’s new-car sales market in the United States, ways of changing car browsers (or ‘delayers’) to buyers and the impact of Cash for Clunkers.
- September 2009
Marketing madness or a new distribution model?
It’s no secret that carmakers need to change their business models and that many consumers are delaying major purchases. It may take a ‘crazy’ idea like selling cars via online auction to get these ‘delayers’ across the purchasing line.
- March 2009
Building the artist-fan relationship
A new generation wants to be more connected with artists, but not everyone in the music industry knows how to respond. The same technology that enables file sharing is also being used to establish a new way of doing business.
- March 2009
Retail reloaded
As the financial crisis continues, consumers are cautious with spending and many retailers may find themselves skimmed away in favour of leaner budgeting. This necessitates adapting to a whole new attitude towards spending.
- March 2009
Here comes the silver market
The silver market is generally considered to be consumers over the age of 50 – a huge market that is growing rapidly due to simple demographics: people all over the world are living longer.
- March 2009
The colour of money
Colour matters. It affects our everyday life, our everyday behaviour, and constitutes 80% of all of the visual information our brains receive each day. Colours play a huge part in the choices we make.
- June 2008
Giving it all away
Sample Lab, a store in Tokyo Harajuku district, offers customers free samples in return for providing valuable feedback to market researchers.
- February 2008
Jeans joys and denim blues
Originally, jeans were sturdy, practical items made to withstand hard work and wear and tear. These days they are near-ubiquitous global fashion items, found in most wardrobes of the world.
- August 2007
Brands taking Asia by storm
Almost four billion of the world's people call it home. Its affluent and middle class consumer base is growing faster than any other across the globe. And brands, both local and global, are fighting for their place among its markets.
- July 2007
Latin American elites are big spenders
Affluent consumers and business executives in Latin America are world citizens and have similar purchasing power to elites in developed markets and want the best products and services that global marketers can offer.
- April 2007
Climate change and consumer behaviour
Climate change is news all over the world. You only have to pick up a newspaper or stand by the water cooler to know it's a hot issue. But will all this talk lead to changing consumer behaviour?
- November 2006
Insight into low income consumers
Low income consumers in the world's emerging markets want many of the same things out of life and the same quality in their products as middle class consumers and differ mainly in their purchasing behaviour.
- November 2006
Russia bound
The Russian fascination with the dacha, or country house, gives retailers unique market opportunities. Rising living standards in recent years has given many dacha owners the opportunity to spend more of their discretionary income on home improvements.
- October 2006
Coffee culture: a global phenomenon?
Consumers the world over are highly in favour of coffee giants and the vast array of choices they offer. However it's clearly a trade-off between enjoyment and principles for many.
- June 2006
Living with - or without - technology
Almost half of us think new technology looks cool even if we don't understand it, according to a recent Synovate survey.
- March 2006
Virtual packaging lacks sense
Without out the tactile experience of browsing a store, e-commerce has yet to earn the full confidence of consumers. But new research shows that by combining the best online and bricks-and-mortar shopping, retailers can increase sales.
- December 2005
Selling beauty to men
A Synovate survey of men in the Philippines, China, Hong Kong and Korea found that the pretty boy mindset is pretty strong and might lead to some excellent opportunities for marketers.
- August 2005
The lives of Asian youth
Today's young Asian is a multi-tasking, interactive, digital-driven consumer according to Young Asians, a new survey released by Synovate.
- July 2005
Road rage
Fourteen per cent of drivers in India claim they have been physically assaulted or were at the receiving end of a weapon wielded by other drivers in the past 12 months, according to a new survey by Synovate.
- March 2005
A genuine look at fakes
Real brand manufacturers need to put a bit of effort into giving fakes negative associations because many people don't see anything wrong with buying counterfeits, a Synovate study found.
- February 2005
Drinking habits around the world
A majority of people in China, Korea, Poland and the United Kingdom drink alcohol, but the amount and type of beverage consumed varies considerably by market, a Synovate study has shown.
- November 2004
We study students
Just ten years ago, poverty was a rite of passage and a badge of honour for Britain's students, who were often defined by their political activism. But a study by Project Edge found that today's undergraduates eschew activism in favor of an aspirational lifestyle. The marketers who make students feel special and who tailor innovative campaigns to the habits, routines and nuances of their lives, will reap the rewards.
- May 2004
Packaging preferences
Big packages can work well in the United States, where buying in bulk is considered efficient, but in the Philippines, small packages are seen as a better deal, a Synovate study found.
- April 2004
Hola Land Rover
To reach Hispanic consumers marketers need to influence a wider social network and develop an appeal that reaches more family members, a Synovate study on the purchase decision dynamics of Hispanic luxury vehicle buyers found.