Festival Foods Pairs AI-Powered Price Optimization With Omnichannel Competitive Intelligence

Award-winning Wisconsin Grocery Retailer Debuts Customer Perception-Based Price Optimization with Engage3's Price Image Optimization Suite

Engage3 Powered By Dexi, which helps retailers and brands profitably grow revenue and drive store trips by tracking and optimizing their Price Image, today announced the renewal and expansion of its partnership with Festival Foods. The expanded partnership adds Engage3's Price Image Management capabilities to a successful omnichannel competitive intelligence program.

Festival Foods has been serving Wisconsin shoppers since 1946 and operates 40 locations across the state. Known for an...

Retail Sales Rose Sharply in July Amid Prime Day, Back-to-School Sales and Rising Wages

Retail sales reversed their downward trend in July as Prime Day and major promotions by other brands prompted increased shopping while wage increases gave consumers more money to spend, the National Retail Federation said today.

“July retail sales show consumers continue to drive the economy through this period of economic pressure with robust spending supported by steady job growth and wage gains,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Retailers remain focused on providing essential items at competitive prices for families and students as...

Hy-Vee Promotes Top Leaders to Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff

At Hy-Vee Inc.’s recent annual stockholders meeting, two key executive company leaders were announced to take on additional responsibilities as Hy-Vee continues to evolve.

Longtime Hy-Vee executive Kevin Sherlock will serve as chief operating officer, spearheading Hy-Vee’s retail grocery operations. Sherlock’s Hy-Vee career began in 1986 as a part-time courtesy clerk at the North Dodge Street Hy-Vee in Iowa City. After working in several markets, he was named Assistant Director at the...

First Half of Holiday Season Shows Strong Year-Over-Year Results Despite Monthly Drop

November retail sales dipped from a surge of early holiday shopping the month before but still saw solid year-over-year growth that marked a strong start to the holiday season, the National Retail Federation said today.

“Consumers continued to spend on household priorities and holiday gifts for loved ones this November despite continued inflation and rising interest rates,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Holiday shoppers are demonstrating resilience, and retailers are providing great products and experiences at the right price..."

Record 158 Million Shoppers Expected During Super Saturday

More than 158 million consumers are expected to shop on the last Saturday before Christmas this year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This figure is approximately 10 million more than last year’s expected number of Super Saturday shoppers and the highest number since NRF first started tracking this data in 2016.

“Consumers have been shopping in record numbers this year, purchasing holiday items for friends and loved ones,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “With Super Saturday falling eight days..."

Black Friday Week Retail Sales Fell Short of Last Year, Reports NPD

Discretionary general merchandise retail sales revenue fell below 2019 levels for the first time this year

Black Friday week marked the sixth consecutive week of in-store sales revenue declines for U.S. discretionary general merchandise. During the week ending November 26, 2022, spanning Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday, sales revenue was 5% lower than during the same week in 2021, while unit sales were down 8%, according to U.S. retailer point-of-sale information collected by The NPD Group. Total November 2022 general merchandise retail sales...

Record 166.3 Million Shoppers Expected During Thanksgiving Weekend

An estimated 166.3 million people are planning to shop 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 almost 8 million more people than last year and is the highest estimate since NRF began tracking this data in 2017.

“While there is much speculation about inflation’s impact on consumer behavior, our data tells us that this Thanksgiving holiday weekend will see robust store traffic with a record number of shoppers taking advantage of value..."

NRF Predicts Healthy Holiday Sales as Consumers Navigate Economic Headwinds

Holiday spending is expected to be healthy even with recent inflationary challenges, as the National Retail Federation today forecast that holiday retail sales during November and December will grow between 6% and 8% over 2021 to between $942.6 billion and $960.4 billion. Last year’s holiday sales grew 13.5% over 2020 and totaled $889.3 billion, shattering previous records. Holiday retail sales have averaged an increase of 4.9% over the past 10 years, with pandemic spending in recent years accounting for considerable gains.

“While consumers are feeling the pressure..."

Year-Over-Year Retail Sales Growth Continues

Retail sales remained strong on a monthly basis and saw another year-over-year gain in September despite an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve and continuing inflation, the National Retail Federation said today.

“September retail sales confirm that even with rising interest rates, persistent inflation, political uncertainty and volatile global markets, consumers are spending for household priorities,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “As we enter the holiday season, shoppers are increasingly seeking deals and discounts to make their dollars stretch, and retailers are already meeting this demand. However, the..."