CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Shows Retail Sales Grew in March Amid Wage Gains and Easing Inflation 

Retail sales grew at a steady pace in March, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, released today by the National Retail Federation.

“As inflation for goods levels off, March’s data demonstrates steady spending by value-focused consumers who continue to benefit from a strong labor market and real wage gains,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “In this highly competitive market, retailers are having to keep prices as low as possible to meet the demand of...

Circana Announces Top 50 U.S. Restaurants

Circana™, the leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, today released its 2024 Definitive U.S. Restaurant Ranking Report, offering insights into evolving consumer habits, performance trends, and the top players in the industry.

While restaurant traffic saw a modest growth of 1% in 2023 compared to the previous year, a 5% increase in consumer spending was recorded, surpassing the 4% growth observed in 2022. Notably, the industry now stands as a half-a-trillion-dollar juggernaut, with dollars exceeding 2019 levels by 12%, despite traffic remaining 8% below prepandemic levels...

ANALYSIS: A Look at Steak Cuts That Are Soaring and Sinking in 2024

Through nearly the first quarter of the year, the steak cuts within the boxed beef market have traveled down strikingly different paths. While there are several factors impacting the market, there are a handful of key standouts that have impacted some popular cuts as we near the end of the first quarter of 2024.

Let’s start with ribs and tenderloins. These items saw the bulk of seasonal discounting early in the year. Winter storms swept across the nation in January and those helped provide a floor and...

Texas Foodservice Industry Surpasses $100 Billion in Sales for the First Time

According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Texas foodservice industry has achieved two major milestones, crossing the $100 billion sales threshold for the first time and graduating to the largest private sector employer in the state, surpassing the healthcare industry. These milestones and new data collected from a diverse group of restaurants across Texas reflect the resiliency of the industry that continues to grapple with the economic shock waves caused by the COVID-19 pandemic...

The Habit Burger Grill Introduces $6 Grown-Up Meal After Discovering Adults Love Kids' Menu Savings

The Habit Burger Grill, known for its flame-fresh chargrilled Charburgers, signature sandwiches, salads, and shakes, has sponsored a study on Americans' dining habits amidst inflation. Conducted by OnePoll and surveying 2,000 adults nationwide, the study revealed a surprising trend: while 75 percent of Americans support adults ordering from kids' menus to save money, many feel too embarrassed to do so. In fact, only 20 percent reported they actually have ordered a kid’s meal for themselves...

Market Force Study Reveals America's Top Grocers, and What Feeds Consumers Choice of Where to Shop

Market Force's newest syndicated research covering grocery retailers suggests that consumers are still focused on pricing and promotions, but that slowing inflation has allowed them to also choose grocers based on convenience, cleanliness, and variety of merchandise available. H-E-B, Fry's, King Soopers, Brookshire Grocery and Food Lion rank at the top of consumer preference, receiving the highest proportion of consumer spending across 40+ grocery brands named in the study. Interestingly, "loyalty" to a grocery brand, doesn't necessarily translate to higher...

February CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Numbers Show Consumers Continued Spending in February

Retail sales continued to grow in February, building off solid gains from January, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, released today by the National Retail Federation. Click here to access February’s retail data.

Total retail sales, excluding automobiles and gasoline, were up 1.06% seasonally adjusted month over month and up 6.3% unadjusted year over year in February, according to the Retail Monitor. That compared with a decrease of 0.16% month over month and an increase of 2.34% year over year in January...

Circana Report Reveals Private Brands Surge Amidst Inflation 

Supporting shoppers by investing in innovation and promotions is key for retailers.

Circana™, the leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, ​​today released a new report on the state of private brands (also referred to as store brands or private labels). Despite high inflation, private brands have experienced growth, surpassing $217 billion in sales in the United States market. The report, “CPG Private Brands Update,” provides an update on the store brand landscape, and identifies retailer opportunities to increase demand for their own brand and private brand...

More People Than Ever Expected to Shop During Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

An estimated 182 million people are planning to shop in-store and online from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This figure is 15.7 million more people than last year and is the highest estimate since NRF began tracking this data in 2017.

“The Thanksgiving holiday weekend marks some of the busiest shopping days of the year, as consumers enjoy the tradition of shopping for the perfect gifts for friends and loved...

Amazon Leads U.S. Grocery Retailers in Personalization Followed by H-E-B and Kroger, dunnhumby Finds

Dunnhumby, the global leader in customer data science, today released a special edition of the dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index (RPI), designed to determine which retailers in the $1 trillion U.S. grocery market personalize the shopping experience best for their customers. In this inaugural RPI for Leadership in Personalization, dunnhumby found that Amazon stands apart from all other retailers followed by H-E-B in second and Kroger rounding out the top three. These three retailers are at the top of the rankings because...

Holiday Grocery Shopping Habits

Though technology has undeniably evolved the way we communicate, I’ve found that no text, call, or video chat can replace the warmth of hugging my mom. The holiday season for me is a time of strengthening familial bonds, gifting joy, and indulging in the “Superbowl” of meals. Raised by a large village of multigenerational family and friends, these moments spent together come few and far between and are deeply cherished. Whether hosting or traveling home, our U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, Holiday Season report finds more than 90% of Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving and the December holidays...

Census Says Retail Sales Grew Year Over Year in October But Growth Continued to Slow

Retail sales kept up a long streak of year-over-year gains in October even though the rate of growth continued to slow, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in response to the U.S. Census Bureau’s release of monthly retail sales data today.

“Fourth-quarter consumer spending stepped off on a more moderate pace, as expected,” Kleinhenz said. “The staying power of the American consumer has been the story of 2023, but financial conditions have...

OpenTable Debuts Annual Top 100 Restaurants List Alongside 2023's Biggest Dining Trends

As 2023 comes to a close, bringing holiday and year-end celebrations, OpenTable is helping diners select the perfect venue with the debut of its Top 100 Restaurants in America list for 2023. Featuring an updated methodology using OpenTable diner reviews and new metrics, the list uncovers some of the most in-demand restaurants by OpenTable diners this year.1

Additionally, OpenTable insights from the year (January 1 – September 30) compared to 2022 reveal shifts in diner behaviors and cravings. Highlights include...