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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Will a new rewards program prove Bed Bath & Beyond’s critics wrong?
Bed Bath & Beyond continues to have a lot of doubters on Wall Street, even as the chain’s management continues to roll out new private lines and programs intended to…
Walmart’s new AR tech is built for the stores inside customers’ pockets
Walmart yesterday introduced two new augmented reality features designed to improve customers’ experience, whether they are shopping from home or in the retailer’s stores. Is augmented reality technology becoming a…
There might soon be no one left to hire at Amazon’s warehouses
Amazon.com’s size and huge rate of employee turnover appear to be setting up the retail juggernaut for a strange hiring problem — it is on the way to running out…
Will ‘coopetition’ enable retailers to profitably deliver online orders?
Shekar Natarajan, chief supply chain officer at American Eagle Outfitters, thinks it’s in his company’s best interest to work with competitors to deliver online orders to consumers across the U.S…
Do mental illness and retail entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand?
Bonobos co-founder and former CEO Andy Dunn opened up about his bipolar disorder diagnosis, exploring the inherent challenges as well as how it fueled his entrepreneurial spirit. Does it make…
Will Deal Days help Target clear its inventory?
Target is bringing back Deal Days, its answer to Amazon.com’s Prime Day, with big discounts and gift card rewards on product categories across its stores and target.com. How do you…
Can Lowe’s build something tangible in the metaverse?
Lowe’s has joined the growing list of brands and retailers stepping into the metaverse with hopes of someday building tangible results in the real world. Is Lowe’s decision to launch…
Study: Flexible scheduling challenges are keeping store managers up at night
A new survey finds that 63 percent of managers of hourly employees see control and input into work schedules as the greatest incentive for prospective employees they interview. Do you…
Are retailers and consumers misaligned on trust?
Businesses believe they are much more trusted than they actually are by both consumers and employees because executives are misreading what moves the needle on trust, according to a new…
Will Walmart become the go-to shopping destination for cord cutters?
Walmart is teaming up with Roku to let users of the streaming platform purchase products they see on their screens. Do you agree that Walmart and Roku’s partnership will change…
Uber Eats ships big city meals nationwide
If you live far from your favorite restaurant in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Miami that you lament not being able to order from, Uber Eats may have…
Kroger CEO says customers are ‘rethinking their shopping’ habits
Kroger is finding that grocery shoppers are trading down and shifting to store brands as U.S. inflation hits a four-decade high, and seeing a particular shift from lower-income households. How…
Will a U.S. factory transform Lego’s supply chain and eco-footprint?
Hoping to support its logistics speed and sustainability goals, Lego Group has developed plans to open its first U.S. manufacturing plant. Do you see Lego’s logistics resiliency, sustainability ambitions or…
Where are retailers on the Juneteenth learning curve?
T-shirts, flags, decorations and party favors have all become even more widely available this year to celebrate Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday only last year. There has been some backlash…
Ultra-fast delivery may burn out or fade away
Ultra-fast delivery startups that have proliferated throughout the U.S. and abroad might have gotten ahead of themselves, according to a new study that finds that demand for the service is…
Does Amazon need a great Prime Day now more than ever?
Amazon.com is holding its Prime Day event on July 12 and 13 with promises of offering its lowest prices ever on select products from its own lines and those of…
Do Twitter users want to hear and tweet about product drops?
Twitter recently launched a new feature, Product Drops, that allows online merchants to tease their upcoming product launches. Will “Product Drops” offer Twitter a path to become more of a…
Should analytics drive category planning?
Recent studies indicate artificial intelligence has not yet delivered the promised time and labor savings benefits to the space and assortment optimization process. Are merchants still relying too much on…
Will country star Miranda Lambert raise Walmart’s profit margins?
Walmart earlier this week debuted its latest home collection with Miranda Lambert, the reigning Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year and three-time Grammy winner. What is your assessment…
Instacart has a family plan to build shopping carts
Instacart Express is out and Instacart+ is in. The retail delivery service has renamed its subscription plan and expanded its emphasis from a single person in a household to the…
Are consumers going to take a vacation from buying things?
While inflation is causing customers to trade down and look for deals when they are at home, they are still spending money to go on vacation — keeping people employed…
