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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
‘Jittery’ prices will come back to hurt Amazon
Amazon, famous for its continual price changes and (maybe) dynamic pricing, might well be killing the goose that laid the golden egg. A recent experience really caused my head to…
Walmart turns to Moosejaw for curation
Walmart has acquired a number of niche online shops over the last three years. Monday marked the first of them, outdoorsy e-tailer Moosejaw, bringing its premium brands to Walmart.com. Is…
Shoppers may finally be using retail apps
A survey from financial services firm Synchrony indicates that, after years of lukewarm reception from customers, retailer apps may finally be having their day. To what do you attribute the…
Can Zippin zip past where Amazon Go is going?
With only one Amazon Go store live, San Francisco-based Zippin hopes to be the checkout-free grocer that just walks in and wins at “just walk out.” What path do you now…
REI finds an audience for used gear
Addressing needs for both sustainability and affordability, REI is making its used gear website permanent while adding a number of enhancements. Will selling “high-quality, lightly used product at lower price…
Will Kroger’s ban mean the end of plastic bags in grocery stores?
Starting next year, Kroger will begin phasing out single-use plastic bags at all its stores with a goal of eliminating their use entirely by 2025. Will Kroger’s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste…
Landlords add coworking spaces to drive more people to America’s malls
Mall owner Macerich has partnered with coworking company Industrious at a mall in Scottsdale, AZ to fill a former Barney’s with shared office spaces, according to CNBC. Do coworking spaces…
Will gains make believers of investors who opposed Target’s toy category push?
There is concrete evidence that at least one chain is a direct beneficiary of two chains that died under the weight of $5 billion in leveraged buyout debt. Do you…
Ellison won’t repeat Penney mistake, slams door on Orchard Supply Hardware
Yesterday, Marvin Ellison announced that Lowe’s would shutter all 99 of its Orchard Supply Hardware stores and a distribution center used to supply them by the end of the year…
Is Victoria’s Secret’s ‘buy 2, get 1 free’ promo the beginning of the end?
Victoria’s Secret has been called out of touch with its female consumers in the era of #MeToo. The chain continues to struggle and has now gotten more promotional in an…
Can AI phone tech free up M&S associates to help customers?
M&S is rolling out a cloud-based call-routing solution that replaces the company’s legacy switchboard. Will M&S’s move successfully show that technological streamlining can free workers up to flourish in more…
Target hits a bullseye in Q2
Data breaches and other past missteps are not part of the conversation around Target today after the retailer posted its best quarterly comparable sales growth in 13 years. What is…
Maverick mattress e-tailer Tuft & Needle sells out to Serta Simmons
A staid legacy mattress company, announced it has reached an agreement to acquire an online seller that has disrupted the mattress category. What does Serta Simmons Bedding’s acquisition of Tuft…
Top reasons consumer data quality is failing retailers
A new survey finds 60 percent of marketers in the U.S., who purchase and/or use audience data in their roles, are concerned with the quality of data available from data…
How much do e-tail algorithms need humans?
As tech companies bring on experts to build out personalization solutions, how much of a human touch needs to remain to give customers the personal feel they’re looking for? Where…
Sears faces Craftsman competition of its own making
When the news first broke about the sale of the Craftsman brand, the thinking was that Sears would be weakened, and whoever acquired Craftsman would likely do a better job…
Do CPGs need their own voice for Alexa?
The term “brand voice” has come to represent a company’s look, feel and attitude, but with voice-based commerce, CPG brands find they may need a literal voice. How seriously should…
Are stock-up grocery trips becoming a thing of the past?
A new study says that a lot of shoppers today don’t like to linger, and that’s something retailers might want to take note of. What have you seen retailers doing…
Is the time ripe for Google stores?
Google is reportedly planning to open its first permanent store, a 14,000-square-foot, two-level flagship, in Chicago’s trendy Fulton Market district. What kind of brick-and-mortar strategy, if any, makes the most…
Three reasons why Gen Z ignores your loyalty program
Gen Z is less likely than other generations to join loyalty programs, according to new research. Even more worrisome, Gen Z may be experiencing a disenfranchisement with contemporary businesses and…
Walmart posts strongest U.S. comps in more than a decade
It’s really good to be Walmart. Yesterday, the world’s largest retailer announced that its same-store sales in the U.S. grew 4.5 percent the 13 weeks ending July 27, the strongest…
