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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Amazon Go doesn’t want to leave cash on the table
In the face of growing criticism that cashless retail tech will leave a big portion of the consumer population in the U.S. behind, Amazon.com has revealed that it plans to…
What does it take to produce promos that pop?
Research shows promos have become less effective at driving lift as consumers have become accustomed to buying on discount and expecting ever-bigger deals. Do grocers need to wean themselves off…
Will Walmart clean up with its robotic workforce?
Walmart wants its associates to deal with its customers. Leave the other stuff to the robots. Do you see Walmart as an innovator when it comes to the use of…
Will retailers see more rewards from multi-banner loyalty programs?
Foot Locker Inc. and Ascena Retail Group are both launching loyalty programs that enable consumers to earn points across retailer banners. Do you see more pros than cons for retailers…
Madewell is on the way up, J.Crew is not
Having just appointed its first CEO, the Madewell clothing brand may be pulling farther ahead of, if not completely away from, its struggling parent company, J.Crew. What should the next…
Retailers and brands become best of frenemies with Amazon
The list of retailers and consumer brands setting up their own storefronts on Amazon.com continues to grow. Are retailers and brands getting over their reluctance to sell on competitive marketplaces…
Will Rent the Runway become all the fashion for kids?
Rent the Runway, the online clothing rental leader, is adding kids’ apparel to its monthly subscription service. How appealing do you think rentals of designer kids’ apparel will be on…
What are retailers and suppliers to do when caught between Amazon and Walmart?
For decades, grocers have objected to what they have perceived as a playing field tilted to the benefit of Walmart. Now it seems Walmart is being undercut on price by…
Should uniform pricing be the norm for large chains?
A new Columbia Business School study found that, depending on the competitive landscape a retailer faces, a national pricing strategy may now be more profitable than a strategy that tailors…
Will Alexa earbuds advance Amazon’s virtual assistant ambitions?
Amazon is planning to launch a wireless in-ear headphone to not only challenge Apple’s popular AirPods in the mobile wearables market, but to bring Alexa on the road. How important…
Retailers still haven’t solved last mile challenges for fresh foods
Retailers, suppliers and third party service vendors continue to face significant challenges for the delivery of temperature-sensitive food to homes, keeping profitability elusive. What are the pain points retailers…
Will Amazon, CVS or Walgreens win the speedy Rx delivery race?
CVS yesterday has announced that it can make deliveries to customers within hours of prescriptions being filled. The drugstore chain is working with Target-owned Shipt to make deliveries from 6,000…
Will Walmart’s new registry make parents forget Babies ‘R’ Us?
A wide range of retailers rushed in to fill the gap left in the toy market when Toys “R” Us shuttered its doors. That’s where Walmart’s new baby registry comes…
Trump’s China tariff dispute leaves retail and consumer brands in limbo
With the uncertain trade climate, Williams-Sonoma is already assuming tariffs on a wide range of home goods imported from China will rise to 25 percent in 2019. What advice would…
Chrome extension shows Goodwill to shoppers, not to Amazon or Walmart
A new browser add-on will let visitors to Amazon or Walmart’s websites know if they can get a better deal on a second-hand version of the product they’re searching for…
Will rebranding deliver the results that Staples needs?
Less than two years ago, Staples launched its campaign for business customers. Two days ago, the office supplies retailer announced it is rebranding itself as a “worklife fulfillment company” with…
What should a retailer ask at an exit interview?
At Patagonia, exit interviews don’t start by asking why the employee is leaving but what inspired them to join in the first place. Are exit interviews more practical and valuable…
Okay Google, how can you help grow Walmart’s online grocery business?
Walmart is going all-in on its online grocery business with store pickup options and delivery. Yesterday, Walmart announced that it was enabling its customers to place their orders by voice…
Can subscription retail solve its retention problem?
With churn rates seen as high as 40 percent, subscription retail has a serious retention problem. And there’s no simple one-time solution, either. Are high churn rates a chronic problem…
McDonald’s reverses positions, won’t actively oppose minimum wage hikes
McDonald’s, a target of worker groups promoting a $15 an hour minimum, recently said it would stop engaging in a National Restaurant Association campaign to kill such efforts. Does McDonald’s…
Again, Amazon attempts to shed Whole Foods’ high price image
Beginning tomorrow, Whole Foods will lower prices on fresh produce items and offer more weekly deals to Amazon Prime members in departments across the store. What effect, if any, do…
