Consumer Dynamics Briefs

Our March 2018 Consumer Confidence Survey shows evidence that e-commerce continues to grow among U.S. consumers of most age and income groups.

Some of the catastrophic economic and labor market statistics from recent weeks are actually not that important. The bigger question is what happens when the economy opens. While businesses will reopen and millions will return to work, recovery is unlikely to be complete for quite a while. We discuss which consumption categories will see the biggest drop in business during the (slow) recovery.

Changing some data practices, ahead of regulation, and giving consumers more control over how their personal information is shared will ultimately build long-term trust.

Too many retailers are shutting down: 2019 just hit its halfway point, but already the number of planned retail store closings has exceeded the total for all of 2018.

Apple supplier Foxconn’s initiative to produce high-end iPhones in India opens new doors for Apple to use India as an export hub, including to the U.S., and also gives Apple better access to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies—and mobile phone markets. Indian consumers have felt very optimistic economically, and technology is a popular category for spending disposable income, as data from the Conference Board Global Consumer Confidence Index shows.

How do you make life insurance fun and engaging for consumers? Brooks Tingle, President and CEO of John Hancock Insurance, spoke at the recent Customer Experience Conference on how John Hancock uses technology and consumer insights to enhance and innovate the customer experience in life insurance.

With all the positive economic indicators, consumer facing businesses are asking some important questions: How is this sunny picture reflected in the actual near-term spending decisions of US consumers? And looking ahead, is consumer spending more likely to be the fuel that keeps a soaring US economy aloft—or the drag that is going to bring it back down?

Our March 2018 Consumer Confidence Survey shows evidence that e-commerce continues to grow among U.S. consumers of most age and income groups.

US consumer expectations as measured by The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index ticked up in October, but this followed three months of declines. Did the declines signal recession in 2022 or just a hiccup related to the Delta variant? We propose the latter.

Regulatory, structural, and behavioral challenges give companies an opportunity to differentiate themselves on customer experience. Enterprises in heavily regulated fields can differentiate by melding compliance into superior CX. For manufacturers, making the impact on the customer tangible for those far from direct customer contact creates opportunities for improved training and metrics. For retailers, competition for customer attention drives CX leaders to design for emotional connections.