January delivered a steady start to the year. Sessions rose 4.8%, orders were up 3.5%, and demand grew 4.5% compared to last year. Apparel growth slowed after the holidays. Outdoor categories saw lower average order values. Home categories showed an early rebound, and many specialty brands outperformed the usual post‑holiday slowdown.
Tag: Strategy
Burning Questions — Quality vs. Quantity
Do Consumers Want Fewer, Better Things? Or More Options? In this edition of Burning Questions, we asked 250 consumers a deceptively simple question: Which feels more true for you most of the time:“I’d rather have fewer, higher‑quality pieces,” or“I’d rather have more options, even if quality is just okay”? Why? The answer was clear: 74% […]
The Return of Touch
Why Touch Is the Heartbeat of Modern Brand Experience Yes, “RoT” can actually be a good thing. It stands for Return of Touch, a cultural shift highlighted in The Return of Touch: Consumer Engagement Has an Omnichannel Revival, a study by Quad and The Harris Poll. As consumers grow weary of living life behind a… Continue reading The Return of Touch
Burning Questions — Brand Loyalty
What Really Wins Brand Loyalty? Insights to Keep Customers Coming Back In our latest Burning Questions study, we asked 500 consumers: “What’s one product or brand you keep coming back to, even when you have other options? Why does it win your loyalty?” We found that four things rose to the top: Consistency. Taste. Value.… Continue reading Burning Questions — Brand Loyalty
Marketing KPIs: November 2025 Trends
Retailers delivered strong November results. Sessions rose 8.3%, orders 6.2%, and demand 10.4% year-over-year. Despite surveys signaling cutbacks, consumer spending proved resilient.
Marketing KPIs: October 2025 Trends
Q4 started strong for retailers and DTC brands. October sessions, orders, and demand rose year-over-year, supported by early holiday shopping. Nearly half of consumers planned to start shopping before November.
Marketing KPIs: September 2025 Trends
September began with strong momentum for many retailers, buoyed by Labor Day weekend promotions. However, performance tapered off in the latter half of the month. Many home retailers and brands with high average order values saw growth. In contrast, apparel and specialty brands saw flat or modest declines, reflecting continued softness in discretionary spending.
You Can’t Cut Your Way to Connection
Connection Is How Brands Move Forward When times get tough for businesses, marketing is often the first thing on the chopping block. Budgets get slashed. Campaigns get delayed. Creative teams get told to “do more with less.” But here’s the hard truth: you can’t cut your way to connection. And if you’re trying to build… Continue reading You Can’t Cut Your Way to Connection
Burning Questions — Consumer Review Sources
Consumer Reactions to Review Sites In our latest Burning Questions study, we asked 250 consumers: “Which consumer review sources are you most likely to trust?” Many gave multiple sources a nod, while others told us they only trusted reviews that are not sponsored. We found that most consumers no longer take reviews at face value.… Continue reading Burning Questions — Consumer Review Sources