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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Will free, same-day pickup give Sam’s Club the edge it has been looking for over Costco?
Sam’s Club earlier this week announced the chainwide launch of a free, same-day online order pickup program. Do you expect Sam’s free, same-day pickup program to prove popular with existing…
Are cloud kitchens the next evolution of food delivery?
Cloud kitchens, which offer shareable cooking facilities to support food delivery, are just getting started but are already seen by some as a threat to restaurants and the overall grocery…
What’s the story behind Macy’s partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods?
Macy’s has a new merchandising tale to tell, bringing brands and products connected to the outdoors inside the chain’s STORY experiential retail store-within-a-store. Do you subscribe to Rachel Schechtman’s “collaboration…
Is Nordstrom staring at a ‘no-growth’ retail future?
In a scathing note, analysts at UBS described Nordstrom as a “no-growth retailer” that is suffering from eroding price perceptions and a “cultural shift” in shopper behavior. Do you agree…
Crate and Barrel takes the feed them and they will come approach
Crate and Barrel is the latest chain to open an in-store restaurant in hopes that shoppers will stop and stay a while. What makes an in-store restaurant a success for a…
When does marketing cross an ethical line?
An overwhelming majority of marketers consider themselves to be ethical, according to research , but the same research also reveals that one-quarter have been pressured to use unethical marketing tactics…
Will Amazon Live video light up sales for Lamps Plus on Prime Day?
It will be “lights, camera, action” when Lamps Plus debuts its first Amazon Live video next week during the 48-hour Prime Day event. What do you think of Lamps Plus’…
Mom-and-pop grocer gives SNAP recipients an organic foods discount
A mom-and-pop grocer in New Hampshire is making it a better deal for customers on government assistance to buy organic. Should other local, or even national, grocers consider incentivizing healthier…
Will a worker walkout put a kink in Amazon’s Prime Day results?
A group of workers at an Amazon.com fulfillment center in Minnesota is planning to walk off the job for six hours on July 15 during the 48-hour Prime Day event…
Location-based marketing is spreading beyond smartphones
Marketers are increasingly leveraging location data in four emerging channels: connected speakers, digital out-of-home, advanced TV and automotive, according to a new survey. Are consumers getting more or less comfortable…
Is Primark ready to bust out in the USA?
With its new Chicago location, fast-fashion retailer Primark is opening its first U.S. store outside of the East Coast. Does Primark’s relatively slow expansion make your more optimistic or cautious…
Is Walmart at an online crossroads?
Despite wide external praise for accelerating online growth, Walmart is frustrated internally by the steep losses it has incurred by online operations and its struggles trying to catch up to…
Target expands its college tour
This fall, Target will open three additional smaller format stores to bring its total count across college campuses to 23. Have college campuses emerged into a more viable growth opportunity…
Does blockchain face scalability limitations?
For retailers, the barriers to blockchain adoption might involve wrestling with privacy issues or ease of use, but the initial roadblock may be performance. Can blockchain be scaled enough to…
NRF study says customers dig retail tech
Customers are finding that retail technology is making the shopping experience better on mobile, in stores and online, according to a new study by the National Retail Federation. What is…
What does ‘patriotic’ mean for brands and retailers?
Underscoring how the U.S. has become more divided in its sentiments, a survey shows brands associated with both ring-wing and left-wing causes landing on the top-50 list for the first…
Are ‘veggie burgers’ and ‘oat milk’ confusing to consumers?
Many producers selling animal-based products object to conflating the real thing with plant-based products. Should makers of plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products be able to use terminology such…
Fashion seekers hunt for treasure in Costco’s warehouses
Costco has tapped into members’ desires to hunt for fashion treasure to grow its clothing sales to $7 billion annually. What retailers/channels do you think are at greatest risk for…
Are offline experiences becoming more important to online performance?
Mattress startup Parachute and sunglasses brand Blenders have both made their mark as online companies, but they’ve done a lot of offline work to get there. Do you think a…
Will meatless meat, CBD and cold brew coffee help food retailers differentiate?
While local, gluten-free and organic products still ruled the 2019 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York this week, plant-based protein alternatives and items with CBD added are coming on…
Will a new BOPIS option boost Amazon’s results?
In what some reports defined as the e-commerce giant’s launch of BOPIS, Amazon.com last week formally introduced Counter, which allows its customers to pick up packages at third-party retail locations…
