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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Were record Cyber Monday/Week sales enough to help retailers salvage 2020?
Online sales during this week’s Cyber Monday event grew 15.1 percent year-over-year. Now, the question is whether those online sales will help retailers overcome any damage done to their businesses…
Sephora to set up shops in 850 Kohl’s stores
Goodbye J.C. Penney. Hello Kohl’s. That’s one of the takeaways from yesterday’s announcement that Sephora and Kohl’s have reached a long-term deal to open co-marketed beauty product shops in 200…
Will ending minimum purchases turn Walmart+ into a serious Amazon Prime rival?
Walmart announced that members of its Walmart+ subscription plan will no longer be required to make a $35 minimum purchase to qualify for free next-day and two-day shipping on online…
Does COVID-19 provide retailers with new opportunities to bond with customers?
MBLM’s newly-released “Brand Intimacy Study,” which ranks brands based on their emotional connections, found the retail industry moving from fourth to third out of 10 industries as the pandemic made…
Dick’s Sporting Goods to test new ‘Public Lands’ outdoor concept
Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to test a new outdoors concept, called Public Lands, in 2021 as scores of Americans’ have embraced outdoor activities during the pandemic. Is now a ripe…
Can grocers make consumers believe that Christmas wishes will come true in 2020?
The word “believe” is central to the theme of two separate video spots featured today in the latest installment of the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. Should selling hope be an…
Was Black Friday a bust?
Those long contending Black Friday is no longer relevant certainly have a strong argument this year. In-store traffic on Black Friday collapsed 52.1 percent year-over-year, according to Sensormatic Solutions. Was…
Amazon aims to keep holiday deliveries ‘spoiler free’
Amazon has introduced a number of holiday delivery options designed in part to ensure gifts stay “spoiler free” by helping keep them a surprise. Is spoiling the surprise a serious…
How will Tony Hsieh’s legacy live on at Zappos?
The words innovation are often thrown around when it comes to retail businesses and the executives that lead them, although very few leaders, in fact, really qualify. Do you think…
Are the best Christmas commercials made outside the U.S.A.?
It’s not that U.S. retail businesses don’t produce strong Christmas commercials, but year-after-year spots by chains in countries around the world do a great job sparking laughs and happy tears…
Can category management catch up to the omnichannel shift?
The Category Management Association recently announced “a new strategic direction” called Cat Man 2.0, which is focused on “the evolution of category management in an omnichannel world.” Do you see…
Retailers show essential workers their appreciation with promotional perks
Gift giving during the novel coronavirus pandemic could drive the heaviest season for package delivery in history and Krispy Kreme is showing appreciation to the people who will be working…
Target CEO points to one-stop shopping as key to chain’s success
CEO Brian Cornell recently pointed to one factor that has allowed Target to make the best out of an unprecedentedly bad situation — the fact that at Target you can…
To furlough or not to furlough?
Rather than issuing furloughs, Williams-Sonoma chose to continue paying associates even as it closed stores, creating a bond with staff resulting in an even stronger customer service attitude than existed…
What will an ex Crate & Barrel CEO bring to her new job leading CVS Pharmacy?
CVS Health Corporation announced yesterday that it has hired Neela Montgomery as executive vice president and president of CVS Pharmacy/Retail, to run the company’s 10,000 drugstores and lead its 190,000…
Big chains are raising pay and more retailers are likely to follow
Home Depot and Starbucks announced plans to increase regular wages for associates. What do you think is motivating Home Depot, Starbucks, Target and Best Buy to increase their wages for store…
Will home furnishings soon be a ‘digital-first business’?
Williams-Sonoma is working to rationalize its store base while TJX Cos. is adding e-commerce to its Homegoods website as home category purchases continue to move online during the pandemic. Will…
Will sports marketing become a victim of the pandemic?
A sharp descent in sports event viewership ratings has led to concerns that live sports will land among the pandemic’s casualties. What do you think are the factors driving the…
Should landlords get a cut of online sales?
Retailers are pushing property owners for more flexible lease terms due to the extraordinary disruption caused by the pandemic. One of the tradeoffs landlords are seeking in return is rent…
How can retailers avert a holiday returns catastrophe?
Holiday returns can strain retailers in the best of times. Thanks to the still-raging novel coronavirus pandemic, experts are predicting that the returns situation could be even tougher. Do you…
Walgreens reinvents its loyalty program, launches 30-minute pickup service
Walgreens announced a complete reinvention of its customer loyalty program yesterday. Will the introduction of myWalgreens and 30-minute pickup be a competitive difference maker for the retailer?
