Economy

Researchers from the University of Bonn have taken a comprehensive look at how scientists study consumer behavior in supermarkets. Their review, published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies, covers everything from real-life grocery stores to lab-based shelves, online supermarkets, and virtual reality environments. The goal: to map which type... Read more

Years into the grand experiment of personalized digital marketing, most of us have had the experience: You search for a product—or just casually mention it. Suddenly, ads for that exact item stalk you across apps, websites, and social media. The targeting may be technically impressive, but it can feel unsettling.... Read more

As digitalization drives banks to shutter more retail branches, the disappearance of these brick-and-mortar facilities has been found to be a significant factor behind the scourge of online scams and identity theft. The causal link, reported in a novel investigation by a trio of academics including Singapore Management University's (SMU)... Read more

In many countries, austerity is a hard sell. Loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) can provide economic stabilization and financial support for developing countries—with conditions. Recipients typically need to restructure their economies, moving away from public sector services in the effort to foster market competition and private-sector business.... Read more

These days, Gen Z appears to be pivoting toward skilled trades, perhaps driven by a desire for "AI-proof" job security. Many young workers now view blue-collar careers as more stable than office jobs in the face of rapid change.... Read more

Research recently published in the journal Information Systems Research finds that giving low-wage workers access to their earned wages before payday can significantly increase saving behavior, financial monitoring and long-term planning. The study found that On-demand Wage Access (OWA), a fast-growing fintech service, raises monthly saving frequency by 3.7%, dashboard... Read more

Employees who are impressed by vague corporate-speak like "synergistic leadership," or "growth-hacking paradigms" may struggle with practical decision-making, a new Cornell study reveals. Published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, research by cognitive psychologist Shane Littrell introduces the Corporate Bullshit Receptivity Scale (CBSR), a tool designed to measure susceptibility... Read more

Promoting women's ownership in wineries can boost sales among the largest group of U.S. wine consumers, who happen to be women. Messages like "proudly made by a woman winemaker" increased women's intentions of purchasing wines, particularly when the label's artwork reinforced the point with feminine gender cues such as flowers.... Read more

The U.S. National Flood Insurance Program is going broke. Increased flood strikes in more places, combined with outdated ways of predicting flood risk, are putting property owners at risk and the program itself in over $20 billion of debt.... Read more

Sungkyunkwan University announced that a research team has identified, through EEG (electroencephalogram) analysis, the impact of "fragrance" on consumers' emotions, memory, and deep emotional bonds with luxury brands. Going beyond conventional survey-based approaches, this study has drawn significant attention from both academia and industry by employing neuroscientific methods that measure... Read more

Sexist. Dystopian. This was how critics labeled a 30-second Peloton holiday ad in 2019 that featured a man giving a woman an exercise bike as a gift. Backlash was so severe that Peloton's stock fell by about 9%, after social media erupted over perceived outdated gender roles and body image... Read more

A study conducted by the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M) concludes that effective adaptation in crisis and emergency situations requires teams to accurately understand unfolding events and flexibly use different coordination processes. Paradoxically, the rigid enforcement of crisis protocols can constrain these processes of understanding and coordination, ultimately weakening... Read more

In a post-COVID world, CBD living is losing appeal with Australian residents opting for lower-density housing, according to new research from Adelaide University. Published in Regional Studies, the research examined the future direction of population growth across Australia's capital cities, regional centers and rural areas, as the pandemic reshapes where... Read more

Alcohol pricing is often analyzed using sophisticated computer models to understand how policy changes, such as adjustments to excise, might affect drinking behavior and public health. But the growth of no and low alcohol drinks that closely resemble well-known beer, wine and spirits products—"nolo" look-alikes—means alcohol companies themselves now provide... Read more

These days, transparency is a financial buzzword. Opening the curtains on the operations of financial markets is supposed to help investors and regulators make better decisions. But sometimes transparency can backfire, according to new research from Michael Sockin, an associate professor of finance at Texas McCombs. He modeled two kinds... Read more