Although brand trust is a key factor in boosting customer loyalty, a new study reveals that price is a key driver of purchases among a developing category of moms. In the study titled “Digital Moms: A Demographic Overview,” Forrester Research provided in-depth infographics regarding the online behaviors and shopping patterns of today’s technology-driven mothers.

Survey respondents were drawn from Forrester’s North American Technographics Online Benchmark Survey, Q2 2010 (US), and were separated into two categories: “moms” and “non-moms.” “Moms” are defined as U.S. online females between the ages of 18 and 50 who have at least one child under the age of 18 living with them. “Non-moms” are described as U.S. online females within the same age range who do not have a child under 18 living with them. Overall, a majority of moms surveyed were older than non-moms — 63% were Gen X (between the ages of 31 and 44), while 25% were Gen Y (between the ages of 18 and 30). Only 13% of surveyed moms were categorized as Young Boomers between 45 and 54 years old.

As the retail industry continues to closely watch the daily deal and flash site model for what “lessons” can be learned, it has become clear that exclusivity and excitement are the key components of success.

During this week’s Shop.org Annual Summit in Boston, MA, Rue LaLa CEO Ben Fischman sat down with Sucharita Mulpuru, VP & Principal Analyst, Forrester Research, for a candid Q&A. Fischman highlighted the growth of the mobile channel, as 28% of Rue LaLa’s business comes through mobile devices, and as much as 38% on weekends.

Mulpuru pointed to the recently released State Of Retailing Online Report (SORO), which found that 29% of retailers have grown their businesses via social marketing strategies.

Empowered, savvy shoppers are leveraging a variety of technologies and tools to make smarter shopping decisions every day through a variety of shopping channels. The convenience of online shopping has made it increasingly critical for retailers to find innovative ways to bring shoppers back into the brick-and-mortar store.

The store environment presents a number of challenges for retailers looking to keep shoppers at the shelves longer and increase basket size and shopping frequency. Those challenges include a plethora of SKUs, a variety of point of purchase (POP) displays and a growing number of private label products on the shelves.

The recent economic downturn has significantly impacted consumer preferences and shopping behavior. Private label (PL) brands have surged in popularity in response, and rather than trying to mirror competing brands, retailers are moving to develop packaging that promote the private brand as a first-choice alternative.