Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Store brands are starting to improve on several product benefits typically associated with national brands, namely: quality, innovativeness, uniqueness and packaging, according to a new study conducted by Ipsos Marketing. While analysts believed that store brands had reached their peak during the worst of the recession, they are positioning themselves to succeed very well in an improving economy as well.

According to a new study by research and consulting firm, AlixPartners LLP, shoppers are willing to wait longer for their packages as long as they receive free shipping. 75% of the consumers in the study said they were willing to wait at least five days for an e-commerce order to arrive if the shipping were free—including 50% who said they’d wait a full week. Retailers who offer low-cost shipping options and a simplified return process will have the competitive advantage.

More Americans are planning to kick-off the summer with a Memorial Day weekend excursion this year; however, they are conscientious about travel expenses, according to a new Deloitte survey. 54% expect to take a trip between June 1 and Labor Day. Of those respondents who expect to travel between June 1 and Labor Day, one in four (24%) plan to spend more money on this year’s summer trips than they did in 2011.

Price trumps sales and special deals, customer service, and convenience as a factor in deciding where to shop for the majority of U.S. consumers, according to new research from The NPD Group. 85% of U.S. consumers say that price will be an extremely important/important factor in deciding where to shop in the near future, ten percent more than those who feel sales and special deals are extremely important/important.

According to a new report about Millennials, many generational ties bind this diverse group of young consumers and differentiate them from older consumers. These include a deep comfort with technology, heavy involvement in social media, a multitasking mentality, non-stop immersion with screens on cell phones, digital tablets and PCs, etc. The challenge for marketers is to leverage this common ground to find Millennials wherever they are and engage them no matter what they are doing.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Children’s/Teen Furnishings. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months: