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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Does any retailer do curbside service better than Target?
Target has been clear that it wants to be known as the easiest place to shop in retail. Its Drive Up service has been a big part of that, and…
Will shoppers engage with bitcoin loyalty rewards?
Landry’s Inc., the parent of Morton’s steakhouse, Bubba Gump Shrimp and a number of other restaurants, recently introduced the first bitcoin loyalty program in the hospitality space. Is cryptocurrency likely…
Frito-Lay stops deliveries to Loblaw in price dispute
Inflation has been putting strain not just on customer wallets, but on relationships between suppliers and retailers as evident in a dispute between Frito-Lay Canada and the Canadian grocer, Loblaw…
Has Macy’s become a different and better retailer?
Macy’s had a good year in 2021 and perhaps will silence, at least temporarily, those who say that department stores are going the way of the dodo bird. Is Macy’s…
Should dogs be allowed in stores?
Wilko, the U.K.-based houseware’s chain, has received a largely positive response — but also a few complaints — to its decision to make two-thirds of its stores pet-friendly. Are you…
Walmart puts its fashion storytelling skills to the test
Celebrities such as Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga have worn Brandon Maxwell’s designs. Now the question is whether Walmart’s customers will do the same — and maybe even some of…
Are stores the answer to last-mile delivery?
A recent McKinsey study detailed a wide range of inefficiencies from using stores for online fulfillment as well as the risks the method presents to the in-store experience. How confident…
Retailers have good reason to support customers working from home
To meet the shift toward remote working coming out of the pandemic, Staples launched the Work From Home Style Squad, a group of experts sharing design advice, product picks and…
Should Amazon be broken up?
A billionaire activist investor shared with investors his belief that the market is not recognizing the respective full value of Amazon’s e-commerce and Amazon Web Services businesses. Do you see a benefit…
What happens to pharmacies when the COVID-19 vaccine demand wanes?
The need for vaccination against COVID-19 has driven a huge influx of foot traffic to retail pharmacies, but with demand for vaccines and pandemic-related services waning, retail pharmacies are anticipating…
Yeti is leaving Lowe’s to focus on DTC and key wholesale accounts
Yeti has decided to end sales to Lowe’s after two years. The premium cooler and tumblers maker cited supply chain disruptions and a heightened focus on core wholesale and direct-to-consumer…
Will Timberland’s stories lure customers into the metaverse?
Timberland announced its first venture into the metaverse virtual world as it released a gamified digital experience called TimbsTrails which celebrates the culture around the Original Yellow Boot. What do…
How far should retailers go with the use of computer vision?
Retailers have found plenty of use cases for computer vision. The process of capturing, storing and analyzing shoppers’ images can generate great insights and outputs and, impose relevant ethical challenges…
Retailers just blew through headwinds to post January sales gains
Neither the Omicron variant, bad weather nor inflation proved to be enough to slow consumer spending in January as retail sales increased 3.8 percent from the month prior, according to…
What isn’t wrong with the supply chain?
Port congestion, shortages of containers and truckers, and fleets that need updating — the constraints placed on the nation’s supply chain are easily identified, but slow to remedy. When do…
Has a new, hybrid shopper emerged out of the pandemic?
A new study shows hybrid shopping — mixing physical and digital channels in shopping journeys — is on the rise as shopping habits adopted out of necessity during the pandemic…
Are c-stores mostly becoming ‘restaurants that sell gas’?
A representative of a convenience store chain recently said that foodservice is now the most important part of the convenience store experience. Do you think it is true that convenience…
Kohl’s details its Sephora makeover for 2022
Sephora at Kohl’s shops have been a success, and remodels are underway to add 400 of the beauty concepts inside the retailer’s stores this year. Will the new customers being…
Why has Kirkland Signature been so successful?
The Kirkland Signature brand exceeded $59 billion in sales in Costco’s 2021 fiscal year, up 13.4 percent year-over-year and accounting for 31 percent of the wholesale club’s total revenue. How…
Are granfluencers a thing?
Senior influencers — nicknamed “granfluencers” — continue to earn heaps of media coverage, possibly offering brands opportunities to reach older and younger social media users. Do elder social media influencers…
Save A Lot decides it wants to grow up to be wholesale grocer
Save A Lot was one of the largest discount grocery chains in the U.S. and now it’s not after having sold off its remaining corporate stores to focus on its…
