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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Are gig worker complaints a retail problem?
A new study finds that New York City’s app-based delivery workers regularly face nonpayment or underpayment, unsanitary or unsafe working conditions and the risk of violence. Do the continuing issues…
Dick’s WNBA deal continues chain’s push to win over women and girls
Dick’s Sporting Goods has been named as the Official Sporting Goods Retail Partner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) beginning in 2021. What will Dick’s deal with the WNBA…
Ron Johnson loves stores but says retail is moving to ‘commerce at home’
Ron Johnson, the former CEO of J.C. Penney who also ran Apple’s retail business and was VP of merchandising at Target, thinks the retail industry is moving towards a major…
What’s the best way to reap the benefits of consultants?
The reason companies often fail to fully benefit from the retention of consultants may be due to oversimplification or underestimation of what it takes to create results, and treating consultants…
Who protects store associates when shoppers lash out?
Disturbing stories about customers confronting retail employees, sometimes violently, have been unfortunately growing in frequency in the U.S. for a number of years, especially since the beginning of the pandemic…
Where are the weak points in in-store fulfillment?
A new McKinsey study finds retailers can significantly benefit from using their stores for online fulfillment or pickup. However, it also comes with challenges. Where do you see the biggest…
Buybuy Baby creates digital platform to help parents raise healthy and happy babies
Bed Bath & Beyond’s buybuy Baby chain announced yesterday an expansion of resources available to parents to help them navigate their way through their own individual journeys. Will buybuy Baby…
What’s Kroger doing most right?
At this week’s GroceryShop trade event in Last Vegas, Kroger chairman & CEO Rodney McMullen took the opportunity to enumerate a series of initiatives his company has pursued in the…
Will overstocking get retailers through the holidays?
Big box retailers are pulling forward orders earlier than normal and aggressively investing in core items as supply chain bottlenecks threaten to lead to empty shelves over the holiday season…
Will Taco Bell lovers sign up for a taco a day?
Taco Bell is testing a one-month subscription program, Taco Lovers Pass, offering one taco per day. Do you think a daily taco subscription program will be attractive to Taco Bell’s…
IKEA’s first-ever festival provides tours of homes from around the world
IKEA last Thursday hosted its first-ever IKEA Festival, providing tours of the homes of artists, interior designers, DJs, chefs and regular customers around the world for 24 hours. What do…
Will Macy’s be thankful it brought back its parade this year?
The Macy’s 2020 Thanksgiving Day Parade was scaled down significantly. This year New York City is preparing for the return of the event and a crowd of spectators to watch…
Retailers don’t have to choose between profitability and customer satisfaction
At the height of the COVID pandemic, retail profitability took a back seat to meeting customer demand by whatever means necessary. What will it take for retailers to return to…
Can retailers benefit from tapping employee emotions?
New research from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania finds major benefits to expressing emotions in the workplace. Is encouraging the sharing of emotions net beneficial on selling floors,…
Online grocery shopping is pretty much all about convenience
A new survey shows that convenience and not safety is now the main reason that consumers are buying groceries online. What does the consumer desire for convenience mean for grocers…
Should Banana Republic revisit its safari past?
Banana Republic is launching a new brand identity and positioning — “winking at its heritage while reinventing itself for today’s modern world.” Can Banana Republic’s original safari positioning help the…
Will Walmart’s latest test ‘pave the way for autonomous delivery’?
Walmart and Ford announced yesterday that the two companies are working together to launch an autonomous vehicle delivery service in Austin, TX, Miami and Washington, D.C. Are artificial intelligence systems…
Will the Kroger/Instacart deal redefine grocery shopping convenience in America?
Kroger and Instacart are working together to launch a new virtual nationwide convenience delivery service. Will the new Kroger Delivery Now service redefine what many Americans think of convenience when…
Rite Aid is going remote-first with its corporate workforce
Rite Aid is taking a remote-first approach when it comes to corporate associates by building a network of collaboration centers in markets where the drugstore chain operates to meet and…
Are consumers craving more warehouse and anniversary sales events?
David’s Bridal is holding its first-ever “$99 and Under Warehouse Sale” over a three-day weekend in late September at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. Are you a fan of mega,…
Will Kohl’s be known for something other than its retail partners?
Kohl’s CEO Michelle Gass has sought to create a unique identity for the chain since replacing Kevin Mansell in 2018. Yet just how much progress has been questioned by activist…
