Tag Archives: consumers

As the economy continues to strengthen, a growing group of young professionals is expected to buy real estate. The number of first-time homebuyers was at a 30-year low in 2014, but Douglas Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae, predicts the improving economy …

Consumer confidence increased in December, rising nearly 14 percent from December 2013, according to recent research. The Surveys of Consumers from data providers Thomson Reuters and the Institute for Social Research shows that consumer confidence in the national economy was higher in December …

After a successful holiday season, retailers are re-evaluating their strategic plans and determining how to keep consumers engaged in the coming months. Many retailers have used and are continuing to use deep discounts as promotions that they hope will keep customers engaged …

Learn some lessons from Lowe’s and Ace Hardware — make shopping more efficient for your customers this year, and improve their overall experience with your business, an article from Forbes recommends. Ace Hardware and Lowe’s both have strategies that have helped …

Many brick-and-mortar retailers are offering in-store pickup to customers who make purchases online. The option sounds convenient, but might not actually be a time saver to consumers. A recent study by retail-intelligence firm StellaService found that “in-store pickup saved shoppers just …

Kitchen upgrades drifted to the back burner for many homeowners during the recession years, but a growing number of consumers can now afford the extra home improvement projects. One-third of more than 3,500 respondents to a Houzz survey say they finally have …

Millennials are the young homebuyers purchasing their first homes in the current housing market. About 75 percent of millennials who bought homes in the past two years were first-time buyers, according to the 2013 American Housing Survey. These millennial homebuyers, mostly …

As customers head out to make purchases with gift cards this holiday season, Wal-Mart is encouraging shoppers to trade gift cards from other stores for Wal-Mart cards instead. The retail giant is hosting a promotion to consumers with wallets full of gift card …