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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Is Domino’s two-minute curbside wait guarantee a big deal or no big deal?
Domino’s, which once had been known for its 30-minute home delivery guarantee, launched a new promise of curbside pickup availability within two minutes of arrival. Should time guarantees be made…
Pinterest says it’s all about body positivity as it bans weight loss ads
Pinterest has become the first major social network to ban all advertisements with weight loss language and imagery, including ads that idealize or denigrate certain body types, as the platform…
Will online reviews keep their Teflon reputation?
A number of reports point to user-generated online reviews being besieged by fraudulent posts. Despite this, a YouGov survey again showed most consumers trust the reviews they read online. How…
Has TikTok become the most direct marketing path to Gen Z?
In 2019, a number of articles speculated whether the TikTok phenomenon would wind up being a fad. A number of reports in recent months, however, point to the video app…
Marketers go to college to recruit brand ambassadors
College athletes have been fast off the blocks in making endorsement deals with a variety of brands and retailers following the unanimous ruling last week by the The Supreme Court…
Is self-checkout tech the answer for DSW and other retailers facing associate shortages?
With business on the rebound, DSW has not been able to attract the number of associates it needs to staff its 500+ U.S. locations. This situation is reportedly behind the…
Is the food delivery bubble ready to burst?
E-grocery and restaurant delivery use experienced an unprecedented spike with the start of the pandemic. But as the economy reopens, some are asking if the investment in food delivery fulfillment…
Sam’s Club learned how fast it could move during the pandemic
Sam’s Club learned some fast lessons after the pandemic hit last year, and that knowledge is enabling the warehouse club chain to double-down on customer-focused steps that increased new members…
Did Amazon or a rival, say Target, gain the most from Prime Day?
Amazon has already declared victory, claiming record-breaking sales for marketplace sellers during its Prime Day event last week. Was it, however, the biggest gainer among the major retailers that ran…
Is fast food going too slow in reopening for dine-in business?
City by city and state by state, U.S. retailers are reopening as reported COVID-19 infections continue to drop. Fast food chains, however, have been moving more slowly. Are fast food…
Impulse shopping is a family/social affair
Research has shown that individuals buy more on impulse when they’re with others who are influential in their lives. A new university study finds that the extent of that influence…
Will a Target-themed Monopoly game be a winner?
Target has partnered with Hasbro to introduce a limited-edition, Target-themed Monopoly game to debut later this summer. How popular do you expect the Target-themed Monopoly game to be with the…
Will baristas crack under Starbucks’ mobile ordering pressure?
Starbucks has a pretty solid reputation as an employer, but some of its baristas are saying management is actually contributing to making things harder for workers. Do the complaints by…
Tractor Supply gets Millennials who say goodbye to city life
Tractor Supply never had to “go country” because it’s always been that way. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t welcome former denizens of the nation’s cities as customers when they move…
Can AI solve e-grocery’s erratic out-of-stock substitutions?
As out-of-stocks became increasingly common in the early months of the pandemic, Walmart’s personal shoppers turned to artificial intelligence to help find the best substitutes. In the past, personal shoppers…
Help Wanted: Authentic leaders to drive sustainable business success
Authenticity in leadership is judged by how you behave, how you communicate and how you serve your stakeholders and customers. What traits define authenticity in leadership?
What should replace cookies?
Google announced that it is pushing back the timeline of its plans to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome browser until 2023. Google previously said it would support cookies…
What makes a great post-purchase experience?
Hibbett Sports detailed yesterday at its investor conference the numerous ways it is differentiating its omnichannel offering by elevating the post-purchase experience. Do you agree that the post-purchase experience is…
Are refillable containers the next big CPG thing?
Grocery stores are finding that consumer packaged goods sold in refillable containers are proving, in some cases, to be even more popular than their traditional disposable alternatives. Do you see…
Kohl’s CEO says company is ‘stronger coming out of the pandemic’
Kohl’s CEO Michelle Gass believes that steps the retailer took before the onset of the pandemic and those it has taken since have positioned the department store retailer to achieve…
Marc Lore says Walmart can’t connect to customers like Allbirds and Warby Parker do
Marc Lore’s arrival in 2016 as chief of Walmart’s e-commerce business was “game-changing” for the retailer in many ways, but did not suddenly make Walmart cool like digital natives Allbirds…
