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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Should grocers welcome Instacart’s warehouses?
Instacart has announced plans to partner with grocers to build micro-fulfillment centers within dedicated warehouses and existing retailer locations. Doing so is expected to speed up delivery and reduce the…
What does the recent sales rebound mean for mask makers and retailers?
While many in the U.S. may have believed that it was time to put away the masks for good, recent surges in COVID-19 cases thanks to the Delta variant have…
Will increasing mall traffic hit a speed bump due to the Delta variant?
Simon Property Group announced that shoppers returned to malls in the second quarter as though it was 2019 and the novel coronavirus pandemic had never happened. Will the Delta variant…
Why has Shein become a breakout hit with America’s teens?
Shein, the secretive fast fashion upstart from China, isn’t exactly environmentally sustainable or transparent but it’s crushing it with American teens. Why haven’t lack of transparency nor its sustainability challenges…
Amazon still playing COVID catch-up on fulfillment centers and staff
Amazon, which limited deliveries of some third-party sellers’ products at points last year, has since gone on a hiring spree while continuing to look for ways to expand its fulfillment…
Should food be an afterthought for Target?
Target earns credit for its omnichannel excellence, private label prowess, in-store merchandising efforts and addictive Circle Rewards program, but the feeling by market observers is that the chain has traditionally…
Has Simone Biles struck marketing gold at the Tokyo Olympics?
Simone Biles has received an outpouring of support following her decision to put her mental health first and withdraw from the gymnastics team competition during the Tokyo Olympics. Will Simone…
Dollar General tests combo DG Market/pOpshelf format
Dollar General Corp. announced the launch of DG Market + pOshelf, a “store-within-a-store concept” combining DG Market, its larger format store focusing on groceries, and pOpshelf, its new non-consumables concept…
What’s holding consumers back from adopting AR/VR shopping tech?
Less than half of consumers claim interest in using virtual or augmented reality tools before making a purchase, although it depends on the category, according to a global YouGov survey…
Amazon forecasts slower growth as it laps last year’s insane online sales gains
Stakeholders in most retail companies would be doing a happy dance after posting second quarter results that showed sales up 27 percent. For Amazon, however, the results showed a slowdown…
Will throwing money at drivers solve the trucker shortage problem?
A shortage of truck drivers, which has contributed to the ongoing supply chain disruption, has been a challenge for over 15 years and is only expected to worsen. Will ever-higher…
Store associates shouldn’t have to be the mask or vaccine police
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union welcomed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidelines for mask wearing in public spaces, but says that more is…
What can rival retailers learn from Walmart’s free college degree program?
Walmart is really taking its “Save Money. Live Better” mantra seriously. The retailer announced this week that it plans to pay 100 percent of the tuition and textbook expenses incurred…
Will a new digital platform create a must-join safe space for Athleta’s customers?
Athleta yesterday released news of the launch of AthletaWell, a new digital platform that caters to the wellbeing of its members. Do you think AthletaWell could be a difference maker…
Will smaller retailers pay to use Walmart’s tech and transform their own businesses?
Walmart is officially a technology vendor — for other retailers. The company announced that it is making available for sale some of the same tech that it has used in…
Weather forecast predicts retailers will face more record-setting heat waves and storms
A new research study concludes that record-setting weather events such as the heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest this summer are going to happen more frequently and with greater…
Has RFID at retail finally passed the long-awaited tipping point?
In the early days of RFID technology in retail, no small number of pundits were predicting the U.S. market was on the verge of reaching one of several tipping points,…
Will the Delta variant keep shoppers and unvaccinated workers at home?
Retailers have been reporting growing streams of customers returning to shop in stores since pandemic measures were relaxed, but that boost could be short lived as the Delta variant spreads. How…
Will ‘sound commerce’ make some noise?
Magazine Luiza, one of Brazil’s largest retailers, known locally as Magalu, has launched Decifrei, an e-commerce tool enabling shoppers to purchase instruments they hear in songs. What do you think…
McDonald’s reorg focuses on the fast feeder’s customers
McDonald’s has named longtime company veteran Manu Steijart to the newly created position of global chief customer officer. What do see as the opportunities and challenges for McDonald’s as it…
Macy’s should have stayed local
When the Federated Department Stores’ merger with May Department Stores was announced, the deal’s promise was pitched to Wall Street with one word: Big. To what degree can Macy’s struggles…
