By Staff
Thursday, November 16, 2023 2:22 PM
The National Retail Federation forecast that holiday spending is expected to reach record levels during November and December and will grow between 3 percent and 4 percent over 2022 to between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion. “It is not surprising to see holiday sales growth returning to pre-pandemic levels,” NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Overall household finances remain in good shape and will continue to support the consumer’s ability to spend.”
Despite a slower growth rate compared with the past three years, when trillions of dollars of stimulus led to unprecedented rates of retail spending during the pandemic, this year’s holiday spending is consistent with the average annual holiday increase of 3.6 percent from 2010 to 2019.
Online shopping has been one of the biggest shifts in consumer behavior from the COVID-19 pandemic. Online and other non-store sales, which are included in the total, are expected to increase between 7 percent and 9 percent to a total of between $273.7 billion and $278.8 billion. That figure is up from $255.8 billion last year.
By Staff
Monday, October 9, 2023 12:04 PM
Despite easing pandemic fear, labor shortages remain a concern for U.S. employers. A new report from the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce finds that job openings are beginning to increase across the nation, however the number of people in the labor force continues to fall.
During the pandemic, more than 30 million people were unemployed. Since the end of the pandemic, more than 4.5 million jobs have been added to the workforce. This has not been enough to restore the labor force, with approximately 1.4 million fewer Americans working compared to February 2020.
The labor force participation rate has fallen from 63 percent in February 2020 to 62.8 percent. Many workers are reprioritizing with 27 percent reporting they need to focus on home and childcare, making returning to work difficult. An additional 28 percent have reported that illness and poor health is making it hard to return to work. The labor shortage has also been driven by more than 3 million adults leaving the workforce due to retirement. Between Q3 2019 and Q3 2021 the number of adults over 55 who left the workforce rose from 48 percent to 50 percent.
Many families cited lack of access to childcare as a reason for remaining out of the workforce. Meanwhile, more than 3 million people left their jobs during what was deemed the Great Resignation, however hiring has been able to outpace quitting. Experts at the Chamber of Commerce believe the next step in addressing the labor shortage is to implement solutions to attract and retain new workers.
By Staff
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 9:00 AM
The lingering impact of inflation and COVID has made consumers even more value-conscious and discerning about their holiday shopping experience.
By Staff
Thursday, August 10, 2023 12:01 PM
More than ever, customers demand—and deserve—efficiency, flexibility, timeliness, value, and priority.
By Staff
Tuesday, July 18, 2023 4:07 PM
The U.S. has reached a milestone in the
long struggle against COVID—the total number of Americans dying each day, from any cause, is no longer historically abnormal. Head over to
The New York Times to find out where we stand when it comes to COVID statistics in the U.S.
By Staff
Monday, July 17, 2023 3:23 PM
The number of Americans getting plastic surgery is on the rise. According to a new report from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) titled,
Global Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures, the number of people getting plastic surgery rose by more than 19 percent in 2021.
The survey found that nearly 13 million people had surgical plastic surgery procedures and 17.5 million had non-surgical procedures worldwide. These figures indicate that COVID-19 is no longer slowing down the cosmetic procedure industry, which saw a decrease in procedures during the pandemic by 1.8 percent for all procedures and nearly 11 percent for surgical procedures.
The U.S. saw the greatest increase in procedures, rising 24 percent, with 30 percent of all non-surgical procedures and 15.5 percent of all surgical procedures. Brazil came in second at 8.9 percent followed by Japan at 5.7 percent.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 12:24 AM
NEW YORK—The adoption of telemedicine has shown an increase in eyecare, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jobson Research’s latest report, titled Telemedicine Research - Updated April 2023, focuses on the integration of telemedicine into contact lens care, summarizing recent survey data to provide insights into the current state of telemedicine usage as well as practitioners’ perspectives on the feasibility of adopting telemedicine as a vision care tool. This data is derived from a survey of eyecare professionals distributed by Jobson Medical Information in 2023. The survey was created by John D. Gelles, OD, FAAO, FIAOMC, FCLSA, FSLS, FBCLA and Jennifer Waller, director of research & business analytics for Jobson Research. The survey was sent to Jobson’s email list of eyecare professionals. Only optometrists and ophthalmologists were qualified to take the survey.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 27, 2023 4:05 PM
The big picture for the Fed is that inflation fears are receding, but not back to where they were prior to the pandemic.
By Staff
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 3:43 PM
Consumer spending is on the rise, triggering an influx in maritime transport, according to the findings of a new report from the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Online orders have been the driving force behind consumer spending, leading to an increase in container shipping costs and the price of consumer goods.
Increases have also been seen among raw materials such as grain due to the war in Ukraine and prolonged effects from the pandemic. This, paired with supply chain issues, has driven consumer food prices up 1.2 percent, particularly in middle and low income countries.
The UNCTAD projects a decrease in growth to 1.4 percent, however between 2023 and 2027, growth is expected to reach 2.1 percent annually, slightly down than the 3.3 percent average over the past 30 years.
By Staff
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 2:54 PM
Americans are more aware of shrinkflation and are feeling the pinch. These are the findings in a new poll from
Ipsos Consumer Tracker. The report found that 83 percent of Americans are starting to notice the impact of shrinkflation on the products they purchase. Shrinkflation occurs when a company decreases the size of a product while maintaining or raising the price.
As a result, 79 percent of Americans report feeling cheated as a result of shrinkflation. Americans are also discovering that the savings they accumulated during COVID is no longer the case, with only 37 percent saying they saved enough.
The level of empathy for small businesses who have raised their prices has increased at a rate of 84 percent, while empathy for large global companies fell to 35 percent.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 11:33 AM
Three years after the start of the global pandemic, ophthalmologists are facing new challenges. The initial impact of the pandemic on medical practices was purely financial. Fortunately, that impact was less than expected and was short-lived. “We thought it was going to have a longer effect. Most practices were able to briskly pivot to provide patients and staff with a sense of personal safety, and, within six months of the start of the pandemic, most of our clients were back up to their accustomed business level. I believe the most challenging adverse impacts of COVID arose after it was no longer a public health emergency, and they are mostly in the form of very strong human resource headwinds,” said Corinne Wohl, MHSA, a practice management consultant based in San Diego.
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By Staff
Thursday, May 18, 2023 9:49 AM
Americans are ready to hit the roads this Memorial Day weekend. According to new statistics from the
American Automobile Association (AAA), more than 42 million Americans are slated to travel 50 miles or more from their home during the holiday weekend. This is a 7 percent increase over 2022.
An additional 2.7 million people are expected to travel this summer compared to last summer, showing that COVID-19 is no longer playing a significant role in people’s travel plans.
This year’s top domestic destinations are Orlando, New York City and Las Vegas.
By Staff
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 12:45 PM
The World Health Organization says the pandemic is over, and the U.S. government has ended its declaration of a public health emergency. But that doesn’t mean the economic challenges brought on by COVID-19 are over.
By Staff
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 3:03 PM
After nearly three years at home due to pandemic travel restrictions, travelers are ready to experience the world. According to a new report from
AAA, international travel is up 200 percent over 2022 figures. Hotels are experiencing the biggest surge in bookings, up 300 percent over last year. Airline tickets have also seen a sharp spike—air travel is up 30 percent for international destinations.
“There’s nothing like going abroad. Personally, I just renewed my passport for a long overdue trip to see family in the United Kingdom,” Twidale said. “There’s excitement this year for international travel, but also a lot of questions about everything from passports to travel insurance.”
Twidale recommends making sure all your travel documents are in order before booking your trip.
By Staff
Monday, March 27, 2023 11:41 AM
While e-commerce offers efficiency for both retailers and consumers, growing pain points have emerged for companies, shoppers and the environment.