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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
How did QR codes go from DOA to killer app?
About a decade ago QR codes were looking like a hot new technology, but without a pressing use case and with minimal customer adoption, they’d become more of a running…
Have retailers solved their long line problems?
Outside line monitoring, reservations, time limits and mobile checkout are some ways retailers have been managing customer queues during the pandemic. Do you see the pandemic helping to drive innovation…
Chewy is barking up the right tree when it comes to customer loyalty
Chewy has built a loyal customer following with the fundamental understanding that pet parents regard their fur babies as significant members of their families. Do you see the customer service…
Are local retailers ready to flex their omnichannel muscles?
By many indications, scores of independent retailers have rushed to launch or expand e-commerce, introduce curbside pickup and local delivery and amplify their social media presence to survive the pandemic…
Albertsons ditching in-house drivers to deliver online orders
Albertsons Cos. has announced that some of its stores in California will stop using its own employees to deliver online grocery orders beginning on Feb. 27 and move to independent…
Do retailers need to jump on the e-gift card bandwagon?
While gift cards were once considered to be impersonal or a means to a quick and easy last-minute gift, that is no longer the case. Usage, particularly in e-gift cards,…
Will store closings in 2021 beat last year’s record total?
COVID-19 accelerated the rationalization of retail’s over-stored environment and the pace of closures isn’t expected to slow. Will the pressure for retail chains to close stores increase or lessen in…
Will Giant Food’s shelf labels with diversity call-outs drive sales?
Ahold Delhaize USA’s Giant Food chain has become the first U.S. grocer to identify products owned by minority businesses on shelf labels. Do you see many benefits to calling out…
J.C. Penney is searching for a new CEO
J.C. Penney’s CEO Jill Soltau has exited a month after the retailer emerged from bankruptcy proceedings through a sale to Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management. What do you…
Is it time for retailers to reconsider Instacart?
Instacart helped grocers meet unprecedented demand throughout the pandemic, but some grocers are finding a weakness — they’re not making any money. What factors do you think will influence retailers’…
Curbside cocktails anyone?
In time for New Year’s Eve, North Carolina and Oregon have joined at least 30 other states in allowing restaurants and bars to sell mixed drinks for offsite consumption. Do…
Will the FAA’s new rules speed commercialization of drones?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday issued guidelines that will soon require remote identification for any drone that has to be registered with the FAA in what could expand…
Are the benefits of ghost kitchens more spectral than real?
Ghost kitchens have experienced a drastic increase in interest thanks to the surge in online ordering triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Some experts in the foodservice world, however, say that…
Which 2020 returns options will stick?
Never before have consumers had so many options for returning unwanted holiday gifts. Some may help retailers handle what’s expected to be a record haul of returns this year. Which…
Are retailers set up to scale the value of AI investments?
According to McKinsey, the retail industry has the potential to create $1.7 trillion of value, or 12.39 percent of total sales, from artificial intelligence. How aware do you think retail…
Should retail CEOs be on social media?
A just-released study from Lewis, a San Francisco-based marketing agency, found two in three of Forbes top 300 CEOs had no active social media presence. Do you see more benefits…
What happened this holiday selling season?
In the first major post-holiday report, Mastercard has projected U.S. retail sales grew 3.0 percent in the expanded selling season from Oct. 11 through Dec. 24, short of 2019’s four…
How do you grow sales the week after Christmas?
After-Christmas retail can be fun — even with a pandemic — as long as you stay focused on making money and minimizing returns instead of just giving profits away through…
And the winner of the 2020 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge is …
Be sure to vote for your overall favorite as we crown a champion for 2020. Which were your favorite spots from the 2020 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge and why?
Will online delivery go more eco-friendly post-pandemic?
One indication of the surge in e-commerce due to the pandemic has been the sight of delivery boxes overflowing homes and recycling bins. Zero Grocery is joining the ranks of…
Was Walmart responsible for vetting opioid prescriptions?
The Trump administration on Tuesday sued Walmart for helping fuel the nation’s opioid epidemic by ignoring suspicious prescriptions. To what degree are pharmacies responsible for questionable prescriptions?
