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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
What does it take to successfully rent customers on social commerce platforms?
The key to successful social commerce is to understand that, in most cases, you are renting rather than buying customers that you own. While renting customers is not inherently a…
Will retailers and brands pay a steep price for greenwashing?
Environmentalism was already on the rise before the novel coronavirus pandemic, but a recent study indicates that since the pandemic, consumers are even more driven by environmental concerns. Do you…
When will predictive models become more predictable?
Retailers and brands that used predictive models were forced to constantly retrain and make adjustments around their machine learning tools as historic data became unreliable during the pandemic. What challenges…
7-Eleven expands mobile checkout to thousands of U.S. stores
Customers shopping at more than 3,000 7-Elevens in the nation’s capital and 32 states around the U.S. will have the option of paying without having to stop at a checkstand…
Will ending non-competes be good for retail workers and their bosses?
Businesses include non-compete clauses in their employment contracts to protect trade secrets, but the practice has come under fire for unfairly preventing employees from pursuing better opportunities and wages. Do…
Will ‘Scan & Ship’ give Sam’s a leg up on club competition?
Sam’s Club announced today that it is conducting a test of new Scan & Go technology that allows members to place direct-to-home orders for items that require shipping as they…
Can a Tesco exec school Amazon on physical retail?
What makes an executive who worked his way up from collecting shopping carts at a Tesco to its corporate suite leave the company after 31 years? Perhaps an offer too…
Nordstrom and Asos say joint venture is a game-changer
Nordstrom announced yesterday that it has acquired a minority stake in Asos’ Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands. Do you expect to see more deals similar to this going…
Are independent grocers thriving?
Independent grocery has grown to account for a third of total U.S. grocery sales, up from 25 percent a decade ago, according to a new study from the National Grocers Association. Does it…
Target and Chipotle are watching TikTok video resumes to find workers
TikTok is piloting a program, “TikTok Resumes,” that lets its users apply for jobs on video. Approximately three dozen companies are taking part in the pilot, including Chipotle, Target and…
Can ghost kitchens inject new life into mall food courts?
Brookfield Asset Management and Simon Property Group have both become investors in C3), a food tech platform aiming to lease 1,000 “ghost-kitchen” locations to malls and hotels across the country…
Retailers still have a COVID-19 problem
Twenty-four states have seen recent increases in COVID-19 cases, with over half of all infections now tied to the Delta variant. Do retailers, particularly those in areas with low vaccination…
Why do healthy eating campaigns fall on deaf ears?
A new study finds that people are at least “complicit” in responsibility for the rising levels of obesity since the late 1980s onwards as they’ve “re-worked, misinterpreted or selectively deployed”…
Are Amazon’s ‘warrant’ partnering deals monopolistic?
A recent look at Amazon.com’s partnering practices is making some say that the retail and technology juggernaut is asking too much of its suppliers and putting them in precarious positions…
Could Dollar General become a go-to healthcare resource in rural America?
Dollar General plans to increase its selection of healthcare products and services across the communities it serves in rural America, making the chain more valuable to the locals in areas…
Will in-person conferences make a comeback after a year of virtual shows?
Surveys show an eagerness to return to in-person trade shows and market appointments, but also an expectation that virtual meet-ups are here to stay. Have virtual events proved themselves as…
New concept promises to deliver the Bloomie’s experience but in a smaller box
Bloomingdale’s has announced the launch next month of a new concept store that it promises will deliver the best of what the department store has to offer, but in a…
Has Lego built an unforgettable retail experience for kids and adults?
One of the most popular toy brands is betting on experiential retail coming back in a big way. Lego just opened a two-story flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan…
Will fading COVID-19 vaccine demand hit Walgreens hard?
Either sales and earnings at Walgreens and the other major U.S. drugstore chains are poised to get a lot healthier or are they going to take a turn for the…
No, seriously, Squad Shopping offers lessons on the social nature of buying things
Squad shopping — the use of video and/or screen-sharing tech to shop online with friends and family — may represent far more than a pandemic-fueled phenomenon targeting young women longing…
Can Apple and others make flex-work models work for store associates?
Apple plans to test a hybrid work model for retail employees that would sometimes allow them to work from home to handle online selling needs. Does Apple’s flexible-work model make…
