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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Omicron threatens to mess retail up
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is now, according to several accounts, the fastest spreading virus in history with over one million cases reported yesterday in the U.S. How well do…
Will U.S. livestreaming soon take off like it did in China?
Two-thirds of Chinese consumers bought products via livestream in the past year, according to an AlixPartners survey from October 2020. Will Americans ever catch up? Will livestream shopping in the…
Are Albertsons and Tesco too late for the retail media party?
Albertsons, the third-largest grocer in the U.S., and Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, recently launched their own retail media networks to join the race against Amazon.com and other retail rivals. Can…
Hy-Vee creates its own armed security squad to deter crime
Hy-Vee last week announced the introduction of an in-house armed security team to manage theft and in-store disturbances. Are more armed security guards the solution to the rise in shoplifting…
Are Nike’s Member Days loyalty’s future?
Nike in November set member engagement records with the launch of its first globally coordinated Member Days event. The event, started in 2019, offers loyalty members special access, offers and…
Is Aldi about more than just low prices?
“The Aldi of today is not the Aldi you once knew,” observes Kathy Hayden, SVP/general manager of customer success at Inmar Intelligence. Do you agree that Aldi in the U.S…
Are in-person trade shows safe (enough)?
With vaccination rates escalating, in-person trade shows were supposed to make a roaring comeback in 2022, but the fast-spreading variant is threatening to ruin the party. Are you or your…
How to escape your comfort zone
A primary way to accelerate decision-making, rethink strategies and drive transformation is to move out of your comfort zones. What tips would you have for moving beyond your comfort zone…
Can a factory-to-consumer experience be a quality one?
The CEO of curated the cross-border, online marketplace Browze sees factory-to-consumer shipping as a way to circumvent pandemic-era supply chain problems, and has a sourcing model in place. Will we…
What new worker challenges does the Omicron variant present?
While employers have made strides in offering worker protections against COVID, it appears that the rapid spread of the Omicron strain is shaping up to be the same kind of…
Would grocers benefit from ghost kitchens?
Can you imagine a grocer with a large cluster of stores in a major metro like Los Angeles, Dallas or Chicago building their own ghost kitchen to service their own…
New research shows strong influence of digital coupons
New research finds that 54 percent of all shoppers recently purchased a new brand because it was less expensive. However, nearly a third were influenced by a digital coupon. Do…
Should DoorDash make all workers do deliveries?
DoorDash will bring back a program requiring all employees, including the CEO, to once a month perform deliveries or other duties not normally part of their jobs. Some staffers are…
The winner of the 2021 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge is …
We presented twelve commercials from retailers around the world in the run up to the holiday and six remain in contention. Which Christmas commercial from those in the article gets…
Hy-Vee plans to go national
Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee plans to expand its footprint with a move into four southeastern states. What will Hy-Vee have to do to succeed in the markets it is moving…
Should customers be offered discounts to keep returns?
According to a Pymnts study, holiday shoppers would be willing to keep items they were planning to return in exchange for a discount. What do you think of offering a…
Will in-car ordering reinvent the drive-thru?
For a number of years, quick-serve restaurants have been piloting different combinations of technology to try to address drive-thru bottlenecks. Now a new solution is bringing voice ordering right to…
Did holiday selling beat plan?
In the first major post-holiday report, Mastercard has projected that U.S. retail sales grew 8.5 percent year-over-year and 10.7 percent against the pre-pandemic 2019 period. The gains were attributed in…
Lowe’s wants to help customers age in place
Lowe’s recently formed a two-year partnership with AARP to provide strategies and information for older adults aging in their homes. Do you see a focus on home improvement strategies, materials…
Is the online marketplace model to blame for the shoplifting spike?
Much of the public discussion about the wave of violent smash-and-grab shoplifting raids in major cities has centered around keeping shoplifters out of stores. Yet much of the pilfered product…
What do last-minute holiday shoppers want?
Promising a double-bonus of cost and time savings, Apple on Wednesday began offering free two-hour delivery in major metro areas from Dec. 22 through Dec. 24. What marketing messages do…
