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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Will Americans eat a direct-to-consumer cereal brand for breakfast?
While consumption is down by double-digits over the past decade, there is still a pretty big cereal market, and one brand is looking to bypass grocery store shelves altogether and…
How Modell’s survived a bankruptcy scare
Mitchell Modell, CEO of Modell’s Sporting Goods, believed he had only 48 hours to avoid liquidation after a Wall Street Journal article came out. What lessons should other retail leaders…
McDonald’s teams with AARP on national campaign to recruit older workers
McDonald’s, which often promotes itself as “America’s best first job,” has formed a partnership with AARP to hire more workers over the age of 50. Do you see more pros…
Is PetSmart barking up the right tree with its Chewy.com IPO?
Chewy.com is going public. The pet products retailer, acquired by PetSmart in 2017 for $3.53 billion, announced it will pursue an initial public offering for a business that has significantly…
Will shoppable ads help Walmart’s Vudu compete with Amazon and Netflix?
Unlike its rivals, Walmart will continue to offer Vudu as a free, ad-supported streaming service rather than seeking subscription income. Will original programming with shoppable content help Walmart draw…
Why can’t Amazon convert Prime shoppers into Whole Foods shoppers?
Amazon.com’s push into grocery has relied on converting Prime Members into Whole Foods shoppers. Yet 70 percent of Prime members rarely or never shop at Whole Foods, according to a…
Walmart’s Intelligent Retail Lab store runs on AI
A Walmart Neighborhood Market has opened in Levittown, NY to not only test artificial intelligence (AI) in physical settings but witness how such technologies impact the customer and associate experience…
Where’s the (alt) beef?
Beyond Meat is set to go public this week with a valuation over $1 billion in another sign that meat substitutes are heading mainstream. How likely is it that plant-based…
Should (can) rivals meet the free one-day delivery bar being set by Amazon?
Amazon.com has long maintained that its Prime membership program is “the best deal in retail.” Yesterday, the e-tail giant announced plans to make the program even better. How will Amazon’s…
AI-powered, voice-capable chatbot helps shoppers make the right choice in stores
While in-home voice tech is becoming more commonplace, BevMo!, a leading wine and liquor chain on the west coast, is piloting an AI-powered, voice-capable whiskey shopping experiences in five stores…
Will the promise of straighter smiles bring more customers to CVS?
CVS announced yesterday that it plans to add Smile Direct Club’s SmileShops to more than 100 of its pharmacies this year. The decision to add the SmileShops follows a successful…
What’s really driving disruption? (Hint: it’s not technology)
The emergence of a new technology is often cited as what drives the disruption of an industry or business. But that’s not true in most cases, according to a Harvard…
Will Rite Aid and Walgreens gain health cred by restricting tobacco sales?
Rite Aid and Walgreens are a half-step ahead of expected federal legislation that will prohibit the sale of tobacco based on age. Will Rite Aid and Walgreens derive business benefits…
Farm Stores goes big with tiny eco-friendly drive-thrus
A regional Florida convenience store called Farm Stores is unique not only because of how customers visit the store, but also because of the materials used to make some of…
Kohl’s goes all-in on Amazon returns
What began as a 100-store test in 2017 has blown up with the announcement that Kohl’s will accept returns for products ordered on Amazon.com at all of its 1,150 stores…
Should retailers promote brand backstories?
For manufacturers of even the biggest brands, sharing the story behind the products offers the transparency, intimacy and respect today’s consumers crave. Are consumers as open to hearing the backstories…
Will Foot Locker’s NYC Power Store play ball with Nike?
Foot Locker will be opening its latest Power Store in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood, according to SGB Media. What might Foot Locker have to do to make itself a unique…
Are secondhand sales the right branding move for Neiman Marcus?
Neiman Marcus last week announced it had acquired a minority stake in Fashionphile, becoming the first luxury retailer to invest in the fast-growing reseller market. Does it make sense for…
Giant Food to fill prescriptions for fruits and veggies
Giant Food has announced that it is participating in a single-store pilot program in Washington, DC that will allow Medicaid beneficiaries to receive a $20 coupon at the pharmacy to…
Did anyone win the Stop & Shop strike?
Representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers union and management at Stop & Shop announced on Sunday that the parties had reached a tentative agreement on a new labor…
Why is Petco doubling down on same-day delivery with Shipt and Instacart?
Petco announced that it is partnering with Target-owned Shipt to expand its same-day delivery options.A Petco spokesperson told RetailWire that the Shipt partnership is in addition to an existing delivery…
