RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Did Howard Schultz make a wise course correction on his first day back at Starbucks?
He’s back. Howard Schultz has started his third turn at leading Starbucks and it didn’t take him long to get the attention of the coffee giant’s stakeholders. Do you agree…
When should a retailer work with Amazon Web Services?
In February it was announced that Best Buy chose Amazon Web Services as its preferred Cloud technology partner. This would not be so newsworthy If not for the many retailers…
Meijer to host its first ever summit for sustainable suppliers
Meijer is holding its first ever Sustainable Supplier Summit, a virtual meeting that will give select attendees an opportunity to meet remotely with buyers in the appropriate department to discuss…
Is curbside pickup-only grocery a viable business model?
The startup Fresh Street has opened Chicago’s first curbside pickup-only grocery store with a promise to save time and money for shoppers. Will a curbside pickup-only grocery store be appealing…
Five Below’s merchandising ‘worlds’ make it ‘resilient’ during tough times
Asked at last week’s Investor Day how Five Below’s growth has proved so “resilient,” Joel Anderson, president and CEO, cited the chain’s “eight worlds,” namely its organization around eight categories:…
Will early deal notifications bring shoppers to Alexa?
Alexa will now notify Prime customers up to 24 hours in advance of upcoming deals as Amazon.com seeks to pack more value as a shopping tool into its nearly eight-year-old…
Cashierless stores graduate to college campuses
Automated grocery stores have been slowly but surely popping up worldwide since the launch of Amazon Go. Now a checkout-free concept is on its way to college campuses, along with…
Is Pacsun’s mall on Roblox the start of something ‘metaversally’ big?
Pacsun is going all in, virtually speaking, on Roblox. The retailer, which began introducing digital items on the online game platform last June, has introduced PACWORLD, a fantasy interactive game…
Should retailers boycott the Outdoor Retailer show’s return to Utah?
REI, Patagonia and The North Face plan to boycott the Outdoor Retailer show once it returns to Salt Lake City in 2023 in a spat over the Utah legislature’s stance…
Best Buy and others find great customer experiences start with data insights
Retailers have long been emphatic about how necessary data collection is. How that’s achieved, however, along with what data gets prioritized and how that affects the customer experience were frequently…
Have robo-pharmacies become a must-have for Walgreens and other drugstores?
Walgreens will use robots to fill customers’ prescriptions in 22 micro-fulfillment centers the chain is opening in the next three years across the U.S. What impact will widespread use of…
Will retail digital media’s growth extend into stores?
With looming changes to cookies set to undermine online targeting, retailers and brands are reconsidering ways to reach consumers in stores. Will retail media’s strong growth online translate into expanded…
Have people had their fill of contact-free retail?
Contact-free retail became a priority at the beginning of the pandemic. Some efforts to cut down contact with customers, however, is raising questions about the threat of compromising the customer…
Can retail teach America how to recycle better?
A new survey finds 59 percent of U.S. consumers believe disposal instructions on items are hard to find, and 63 percent would be more likely to purchase products with well-marked…
Shoptalk 2022: Retail media is the message from Instacart
Presenters at this week’s Shoptalk in Las Vegas addressed several themes of great concern to retailers, but none captured greater attention than the discussions about retail media. Is Instacart on…
Walmart appears ready to quit its cigarette habit
Walmart has decided to ditch selling cigarettes in some of its U.S. stores and reconfigure its front end space in those locations to make room for more self-checkouts and products…
Is Target and Levi’s expanding partnership a win-win?
Target plans to expand the availability of its selection of Levi’s premium Red Tab jeans from 500 stores to 800 this spring in a bid to amplify its “status as…
Will swimwear become Victoria’s Secret weapon?
Victoria’s Secret said last week that it has acquired a minority interest in Frankies Bikinis, a women-founded and led beachwear and lifestyle brand. What do you expect Victoria’s Secret to…
Nike heads to the wholesale exits
Nike has communicated its major “account pivots” as part of its marketplace realignment that reduced the number of wholesale partners worldwide over the last four years by more than 50…
Has Backstage found its place inside of Macy’s?
Continuing its fast rollout, Macy’s announced plans to expand Backstage in-store shops to 37 more full-line locations this spring, bringing the off-price concept to nearly 60 percent of the chain…
Should grocery chains bring transportation in-house?
While the Walmarts of the world have owned their supply chain for decades, many smaller chains got out of the logistics business years ago. Since 2017, however, surging demand combined…
