Is the Fire Phone the next great mobile device? With the first smartphone from Amazon.com set to launch on July 25, we took this question to one of the most important components of the buying equation, consumers.
At first blush, reaction to the new device seems a little continue reading…
As we await the announcement of the latest and greatest from Samsung – the suspected Galaxy S5 – later this month, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at continued battle between this smartphone giant and that other giant, Apple. While Samsung’s global market share remains intact, according to our latest insights, Apple is the dominant player in the smartphone market stateside, with 43.7% of U.S. adults 18+ owning one, with Samsung resting in second position (25.7%). Combined, these two Goliaths account for more than two-thirds of U.S. smartphone ownership among adults, ahead of smaller players like Motorola (7.5%), LG (7.0%), HTC (6.6%) and BlackBerry (3.0%).
What’s interesting about these two big competitors, though, is the loyalty between the two brands when shopping for a new smartphone model – and how much this loyalty is worth. Continue reading
Challenge anyone to name a positive aspect of Sears and chances are that person will opine about the department store’s vast real estate holdings or the value remaining in house brands Craftsman, DieHard, and Kenmore. While we could certainly question the validity of Sears’ worth in real estate in today’s increasingly digital society, it’s the Kenmore stronghold that’s up for debate today.
Previously, I’ve discussed Sears’ waning, aging, and uninvested customer base in women’s apparel, and it seems as though these same problems are leeching into that feather in Sears’ cap: appliances. On the plus side, our insights indicate that Sears continues to be the top destination for everything from coffee makers and vacuums to microwaves and refrigerators; about a quarter of consumers overall (23.5%) assert that Sears is the store they would head to first for these items. Unfortunately, as its big box competitors have ramped up their offerings, service, and customer share in other merchandise categories, Sears has begun to slump in appliances. Continue reading
