Research Insights
The Medill Spiegel Research Center investigates how customer engagement with brands correlates with purchase behavior. Explore our insights and findings now.
This Halloween Consumers Aren’t Scared of Inflation
Executive Summary: Halloween remains a key retail event in the United States, attracting millions of consumers and generating significant economic activity through costume purchases, decorations,
What Retailers Need to Know about Back-to-School and College Spending
Executive Summary: As the back-to-school and college shopping season unfolds, new survey data sheds light on consumer spending trends and behaviors for 2024. This year,
Customer Preferences in Retail: Private Labels and Brand Loyalty
Executive Summary: This article examines the impact of private labels and consumer brand preference on retail, utilizing data from Prosper Insights & Analytics across various
Retail Trends Among Hispanic Consumers
Executive Summary: The Hispanic population in the U.S. shows unique demographic trends and behaviors, significantly influencing household dynamics, spending habits, and media consumption, which are
Retail Trends, Spending, and July Fourth Celebratory Patterns
Executive Summary: The Fourth of July is the second most popular American holiday, following only Christmas. Key highlights include: 87.2% of respondents celebrate the Fourth
Retail Trends, Spending, and Father’s Day Celebratory Patterns
Executive Summary: Father’s Day, observed on Sunday, June 16, 2024, is the sixth most popular American holiday, surpassing Halloween but trailing behind the Super Bowl.
Retail Trends and Spending for Memorial Day and Graduation
Executive Summary: Memorial Day and graduation celebrations significantly influence consumer behavior, with many adults participating in related activities and spending. Participation in Memorial Day sales
Retail Membership Clubs: Part Two
Executive Summary: Retail Membership Clubs: Part Two delves deeper into the landscape of retail membership clubs, building upon the analysis presented in Part One. The
Retail Trends, Spending, and Mother’s Day Celebratory Patterns
Executive Summary: While Mother’s Day celebration rates have shown stability over the years, there have been notable shifts in spending preferences, with a growing emphasis
Retail Trends, Spending, and Easter Celebratory Patterns
Executive Summary: In terms of popularity among American celebrations Easter celebrations are less than Mother’s Day and more than the Super Bowl. Over the past
St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations Soar in Popularity and Spending
Summary St. Patrick’s Day ranks between Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Celebrating the day has increased over the last nine years. Spending is also up, especially
The Most Important Thing About Super Bowl Advertising Isn’t the Ad
The Most Important Thing About Super Bowl Advertising Isn’t the Ad By Larry DeGaris, Executive Director, Medill Spiegel Research Center The cost of airing a
Madison Ave. Meets the Merchants
Madison Ave. Meets the Merchants A Report from the IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting By Larry DeGaris, Executive Director, Medill Spiegel Research Center “Signal Loss”—Avoidance and
Super Bowl Watching: Consumer Behavior and Happiness
Summary The Super Bowl, deeply ingrained in American culture, significantly shapes consumer behavior and happiness. Prosper Insights & Analytics’ January 2024 survey of 8,239 participants
Sports Betting
Summary This article provides insights into the increasing interest in sports betting and its connection to consumer behavior, demographics, and personality traits. Understanding these dynamics
Retail Membership Clubs: Part One
Summary Data from the October 2023 Prosper study reveals that consumer preferences vary by product category, influenced by income and demographics. An overview of the
Robots and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework
Summary The shift from the National Robotics Initiative to AI has spurred the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC) and NIST to develop a Risk
How Generative AI Will Raise the Voice of the Customer
Summary The article explores the transformative potential of Generative AI in the retail sector, drawing a parallel to the holographic librarian Vox 114 from the
Retail Theft and Consumers
Summary: This article discusses retail shrinkage on the rise, largely attributed to theft, prompting retailers to secure items; however, recent data suggests that this short-term
Frank Mulhern
Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications at the Medill School at Northwestern University and Director of the Retail Analytic Council As Director