RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Is the BOPIS experience getting any better?
A new survey finds retailers that are offering buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS) services are still struggling to combat rising rates and capacity constraints, along with a new set…
Aldi fans can’t wait to shop its ‘Aisle of Shame’
An impressive number of grocery shoppers at Aldi are such fans of the discounter’s odds and ends aisle that they have given it a special name — and started Facebook…
Should gig workers choose flexibility or protections?
A European Union proposal that was introduced last week promises to elevate the debate about whether and how to grant more employment rights to workers in the gig economy. Is…
Will guilting consumers help reduce online’s high return rates?
Gad Allon, a professor at Wharton School of Business, believes raising consumer awareness is key to reducing retail’s massive rate of returns. Do you see any benefit to retailers in…
Is union’s victory at Starbucks a sign of things to come?
Workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, NY, voted to join the Workers United union, making it the first company-owned location in the U.S. to do so. How significant is…
Costco reports very Costco-like quarterly results
Costco continued to add new members to its clubs in its first fiscal quarter of 2022, while holding on to the vast majority of existing customers. All that adds up…
Will consumers ever get over the price hurdle for sustainable goods?
Despite heightened awareness over climate change threats in recent years, surveys continue to battle it out over how much of a premium consumers are willing to pay for sustainable goods…
Commercials provide different takes on the true spirit of Christmas
We go outside the U.S. to Ireland and the Netherlands for the next two contestants in the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge 2021. What is your critique of the Christmas spots from…
What will it take for brands to build digital communities?
A university study details how digital communities can support more personal and less transactional relationships with consumers, but also carry inherent challenges and risks. Is creating a digital community a…
Will five banners work better than one for Wayfair as it begins to open stores?
Wayfair appears to be getting more serious about brick and mortar retail. The online furniture and home goods retailer says it will go from zero to three stores over the…
Will DoorDash win the ultra-fast delivery race?
One of the biggest app-based delivery services is offering customers in select markets a service that will get them their grocery orders even faster than usual. Do you think DoorDash’s…
DSW finds ‘narrower and deeper’ to be the right fit for its business
DSW’s strong third-quarter sales recovery was made possible by past steps to increase emphasis on its top-50 footwear brands. What are the pros and cons of a “narrow and deep”…
Can Safeway slam the door shut on shoplifters?
As a number of major U.S. cities continue to grapple with the problem of violent, orchestrated retail theft, Safeway in San Francisco is rolling out restrictive solutions it hopes will…
Meijer and Publix want you to believe in their new Christmas spots
Meijer and Publix do not compete with one another in the same markets but the two retailers are going head to head in the second installment of the RetailWire Christmas…
Should grocers get comfortable with food inflation?
Food prices are at their highest levels in a decade, inflation pressures have accelerated in recent months and “there does not appear to be any real deflation on the horizon.”…
Does this activist investor know what’s best for Kohl’s?
Kohl’s is the latest retailer to be feeling the heat from an activist investor looking to spin off its e-commerce operations from the rest of its business. Does it make…
What will it take to build a better shopping cart?
A university study finds shopping carts with two parallel grips, instead of the standard single horizontal handlebar, could boost sales by 25 percent for grocers versus standard carts because they…
Dollar General’s Popshelf expansion shifts into high gear
Dollar General is planning to accelerate the expansion of Popshelf, its concept targeting suburban women, with a goal of reaching 1,000 locations by 2025. What do you think of the…
What are self-checkout’s pain points?
Self-checkout has been promoted as an answer to retail labor challenges since well before the pandemic, and consumers do find the notion of faster checkout appealing. The customer experience, however,…
Will Toys ‘R’ Us become an American comeback story?
Toys “R” Us has a new owner and is taking another shot at establishing a presence in the U.S. WHP Global, the parent company of the retailer, will open a…
Kroger makes sense of consumer contradictions
Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said earlier this year that no other retailer “has the customer data and the insights” that his company has, once again pointing to his company’s understanding…
