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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
The North Face starts petition to make Earth Day a national holiday
The North Face last week launched a global petition to make April 22, Earth Day, an officially recognized holiday. Introduced on April 16, the petition on Change.org had gathered more…
Is it time to push the ‘go faster’ button on cloud computing?
RSR’s first-ever benchmark on the state of cloud computing in retail finds that the top expected benefits from the cloud for retailers are improving speed and agility while maintaining manageable…
Is AI’s impact on demand forecasting more hype than reality?
The forecast error in retail is as high as 32 percent, according to some estimates. Will artificial intelligence (AI) technology do any better? Do you see AI significantly transforming demand…
Sears Holdings sues Eddie Lampert for illegally stripping retailer of its assets
Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October of last year. Now, the company is suing Mr. Lampert and a number of former board members. Did Sears only…
Will a healthier Wawa be a more successful Wawa?
Regional convenience store chain Wawa is expanding its footprint and improving its offerings in a way that’s a little Whole Foods, a little Instagram. Will Wawa’s more Millennial/Gen Z-focused offerings…
Will former exec’s Godiva café plans spell trouble for Starbucks?
It stands to reason that Annie Young-Scrivner, who became CEO of Godiva Chocolatier in 2017, will use the knowledge she gained at Starbucks as her current company embarks on a…
Will America’s love for paper coupons ever die?
Despite a slight rise in the preference for paperless discounts, more adults still prefer paper coupons, according to the latest annual survey of coupon use from Valassis. What’s supporting the…
H&M launches online peer-to-peer styling forum
H&M earlier this month launched Itsapark, an online “destination for fashion and lifestyle guidance.” Currently in beta, Itsapark enables users to upload questions about how to style themselves for occasions…
Apple owns the checkout at Decathlon’s sporting goods store
Visitors to the first full-sized U.S. location of global sporting goods brand Decathlon will find the checkout not at the front of the store, but all around them — on…
Will livestream shopping take off in the U.S.?
Livestream shopping is seeing explosive growth in Asia, and numerous platforms have launched similar experiences in the U.S. Could livestream shopping generate strong appeal with U.S. consumers?
Why didn’t BJ’s wellness program produce healthier results?
Workplace wellness programs have become popular with the promise that they encourage employees to adopt healthier lifestyles, but a new randomized clinical study is now raising questions as to whether…
Hubert Joly: New Best Buy CEO has the right stuff to lead chain to new heights
Hubert Joly, the architect of Best Buy’s turnaround, is stepping down as CEO and moving to the role of executive chairman of the board. Corie Barry, Best Buy’s current CFO…
Why is Five Below a step above?
Last week was a good one for Five Below. The youth-oriented discounter reported a strong holiday quarter, announced that it has accelerated its openings for the current year and reiterated…
Will Walmart’s KIDBOX help kids look good and do good at the same time?
Think Stitch Fix’s fashion subscription service for kids without the stylist fees and four or five curated clothing items arriving in a box at about 50 percent off. That’s what…
Is Bed Bath & Beyond smart to draw the line on coupons?
Bed Bath & Beyond last week said it is taking a number of steps to reduce its reliance on coupons as a traffic driver in order to shore up profitability…
Can Walmart beat Amazon, Facebook and Google at the online ad game?
Walmart announced another step last week to jumpstart its fledgling online advertising business with the acquisition of digital advertising start-up Polymorph Labs. What do you think of Walmart’s ambition to…
Autonomous vehicles take test drives around distribution centers
At the ProMat materials handling conference in 2017, there was only one company talking about autonomous forklifts. This year, no less than 20 vendors were hyping autonomous lift trucks. And…
Should retail rivals see Amazon’s $15 minimum wage and raise it $1?
In Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos’ annual letter to shareholders, nothing gained as much attention as his call for retail rivals to offer a higher minimum wage than the…
Why consumers are breaking bonds with their favorite brands
A number of legacy retailers and classic consumer packaged goods brands are struggling — some exiting the marketplace — despite the pull of nostalgia that might have protected those brands…
Should retailers worry that secondhand apparel is flooding the market?
Since the debut of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” customers have donated so much clothing that many thrift stores put up limits. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t buyers…
Will more consumers listen now that Macy’s has a new STORY to tell?
When Macy’s acquired STORY, many were unsure if Macy’s management would let STORY be STORY, and if the concept would scale within the department store environment. The answer to both…
