RETAIL: OTR knows retail trends.

OTR's dedicated group of retail reporters snoop out the next big trends and the collapse of the latest trends by building relationships with retail managers and buyers at key retailers.

• Trend Trax: Our monthly look at changes in traffic, inventory, merchandising, sales momentum and consumer tastes through interviews and store visits to specialty retailers
• Department Stores: Suppliers and store managers provide insights in the midtier segment
• Footwear: Coverage of established athletic shoes and emerging brands through interviews with leading mall, performance, outdoor and family retailers in the United States and Europe

Quick Serve ... Casual Dining ... Natural Foods

OTR Global brings you the latest in the market share battles among quick-serve and casual-dining restaurants and the growth in natural foods by talking to restaurant managers and key suppliers.

• QSR: New product launches, expanding menu offerings and value menus are enticing customers and pitting chains against each other ... and against the casual-dining sector.
• Casual Dining: Chains are using new menu items, pricing and new corporate initiatives to wrestle back the customers lost to QSRs.
• Natural Foods: Whole Foods' fight to retain its high-end niche customer and expansion in Europe in the face of increasing competition
• IPOs: Chipotle, Burger King, Tim Hortons, Carrols

Retail Hardlines

Big Box ... Trends

OTR Global stays at the forefront of big-box retailers by tracking sales and trends, including consumer response to new product introductions.

• Home Improvement: All eyes are on when consumer spending will bounce back from the lull that began in 2006 and its potential impact on HD and LOW