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Officer of the International Council of Shopping Centers, retailers, researchers found. The ICSC study found 70
a global trade association established in 1957. "The strong percent of adults who visited shopping centers during the
holiday shopping season suggests a positive environment holiday season engaged in ancillary activities, including
for retail sales overall." the following:
• Price comparison: 52 percent used connected de-
Chris Mason, CEO and co-founder of online menswear vices to compare prices.
retailer Branding Brand Inc., said the mobile web attracts
new customers, and mobile apps earn their loyalty. "Mobile • Inventory checking: 40 percent checked item avail-
is the primary growth channel, traffic channel and soon to ability.
be revenue channel for e-commerce," he added. • Coupon presentment: 37 percent presented digital

Consistent online, in-store growth discounts or coupons at the POS.
• Product reviews: 33 percent read or wrote product
The ICSC's Post-Holiday Consumer Shopping Survey, or service reviews.
published Jan. 3, 2017 was based on a survey of 1,030
adults. It was conducted by Opinion Research Corp. • Dining and entertainment: 45 percent dined at a
restaurant; 26 percent saw a movie.
between Dec. 27 and 28, 2016. Respondents indicated they
had spent an average of $711 on holiday-related gifts in In-store, online mix
2016, a 16 percent increase in overall holiday spend above
the $611 average spent during the same period in 2015. Post-holiday reports have shown mobile and ecommerce
activities can benefit brick-and-mortar retailers.
Despite record numbers of ecommerce spending, According to ICSC analysts, consumers who shop online
consumers continued to shop in brick-and-mortar stores, for holiday gifts "routinely opt to shop with retailers that
which represented almost 70 percent of total holiday- have a physical location." The association also stated it is
related spending. This data reflects the predominant confident shopping centers will remain "integral to the
omnichannel trends across retail, as merchants strive to social fabric of their communities by providing a central
satisfy the shopping behaviors of all generations, McGee place to congregate with friends and family, discuss
noted. "The convergence of physical and digital continues community matters, and participate in and encourage
to be important, as consumers have come to expect an philanthropic endeavors."
integrated experience allowing them to buy products
through a variety of channels," he said. Synchrony Financial researchers concluded that digital
shopping, social media influence and mobile payment
Increased smartphone shopping schemes have permanently altered the retail landscape.

The Synchrony Financial Digital Study, released in October "As the quality of digital retail experiences increases,
2016, identified increasing use of smartphones among all consumers will continue to feel more comfortable using
key demographic groups. Researchers used survey data this media for their shopping transactions," they wrote.
gathered from 1,294 adults between May and June 2016. "To provide a better, more satisfying shopping experience,
Following are key metrics in the study: as well as to stay competitive and relevant, retailers must
be constantly innovating and exploring new ways of
• Increased mobile usage: 67 percent of respondents leveraging today's digital technology and tools."
completed a shopping-related task on a mobile
phone, up from 45 percent in 2015. Activities in-
cluded using a mobile phone to research a product, Frost & Sullivan probes
check in at a retailer, track reward points and com-
• Added revenue from in-store pickups: 61 percent cybercrime in APAC region
plete purchases online.
of respondents who visited stores to pick up items
ordered online made additional in-store purchases. n a study on cybercrime in the Asia Pacific region,
• Shopping center visits: 81 percent of millennials, published Dec. 29, 2016, Frost & Sullivan identi-
62 percent of baby boomers and 73 percent of gen X fied eight predominant schemes criminals used to
shoppers visited a shopping center during the 2015 I gain unauthorized access into business networks.
holiday season. Millennials surveyed used tech- Citing major attacks against the National Payment Corp.
nology to enhance, not replace the physical shop- of India and Bangladesh Central Bank, the research firm
ping experience. warned organizations and IT professionals to be vigilant
and "cyber-ready" to protect their intellectual property
Online, in-store cross-selling and data in 2017.

Retailers have benefitted from consumers who order Researchers found a direct link between cyberattacks
online and pick up their orders in physical stores. These and the increasingly hyper-connected environment of the
in-store visits create additional opportunities for adjacent Internet of Things (IoT). Following are what Asia Pacific

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