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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Is influencer marketing just getting started?
While most of social media’s tools and techniques weren’t available five years ago, marketing has become much more “about working with partners and making sure there’s content and stories that…
Amazon gives Prime members another reason to shop at Whole Foods
Amazon.com’s assimilation of Whole Foods continues, this time with the news that holders of the Amazon Rewards Visa card will earn five percent cash back on purchases they make at…
Albertsons and Rite Aid combine to create food, health and wellness giant
Albertsons and Rite Aid have announced a definitive merger agreement, thereby combining one of the largest supermarket chain store operators in the U.S. with the drugstore chain. What do you…
Will parents and kids go for healthier Happy Meals?
Few restaurants are less associated with healthy eating than McDonald’s. But as American dining trends skew healthier, the chain is taking steps to revamp one of its most iconic offerings…
Walmart reimagines in-store shopping for mobile
Many shoppers only seem to use their smartphones in-store to check prices on Amazon.com, but Walmart hopes to change that habit with a newly added store assistant feature to deliver…
For independent grocers, it’s innovate or die
Your neighborhood grocery store is once again caught between a rock and a hard place. In this metaphor, the rock is ecommerce competition from Amazon and larger, more traditional retailers…
Rule #1 of location analytics in retail – don’t be creepy
RSR’s first benchmark on location analytics in retail showed retailers perceiving that consumers have grown impatient with an old-fashioned and impersonal physical shopping experience, and are considering location-based intelligence. Are…
Can Circuit City come back from the dead?
When big box electronics was booming, Circuit City was one of the biggest retailers around. But then the storefronts were shuttered and online operations went dark. Now, after years of…
Grocers hit restaurants in the gut with hot bars
With many relying on basic $5 or $6 meals such as chicken, a scoop of mashed potatoes and green beans to drive prepared foods sales, grocers aren’t doing enough to…
Sam’s Club takes on Costco and Amazon with a new strategy
Sam’s Club announced yesterday that it is consolidating the number of membership options it offers from three to two and that, as previously announced, it is ramping up efforts to…
Grocers say Trump’s SNAP plan would screw up a well run program
The Trump administration has unveiled its plan to reform and cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and it has grocers wondering why the president would want to blow up…
Diesel finds success with a real knockoffs pop-up
If you can’t beat ‘em (them being counterfeiters), then co-opt them. That appears to be at least part of the thinking behind a pop-up shop opened by Diesel on Canal…
What does it take to improve an underperforming retail sales team?
Do you remember what it was like when you started your first retail sales job? The joy of finding out how you could do better and especially sell better was…
Macy’s new Muslim clothing line launches to accolades and anger
Macy’s is introducing a line of women’s apparel online specifically for Muslim women, becoming the first U.S. department store to sell hijabs. Is selling Muslim fashion a win-win for retailers…
Why are customers willing to pay for product samples from Sephora?
If you want to pay for a subscription box of deluxe samples from Sephora, you’re going to have to wait. That is because, according to Sephora’s website, subscriptions for their…
Will Instacart and Shipt give Amazon a run for its money?
Amazon.com has made news in the past week for the launch of Prime Now deliveries from Whole Foods in four markets along with the planned rollout of a new service,…
L.L.Bean ends its famous ‘lifetime replacement’ guarantee
L.L.Bean, which has touted its 100 percent satisfaction guarantee for more than a century, has initiated a new one-year limit on returns and exchanges due to rampant abuse. How important…
No joke – Walmart asks CPGs for higher priced products
Walmart is known for its commitment to low prices, but the company is discovering that shipping the lowest-priced products is making it tough to turn a profit with e-commerce. So,…
Amazon moves closer to FedEx and UPS’s turf
Amazon.com plans to launch in “coming weeks” a new delivery service that will compete directly with FedEx and UPS, according to The Wall Street Journal. Does the launch and strategy…
What makes a disruptive brand?
What does it take to launch a disruptive brand that develops a cult following? A great idea and good timing are important, but the personality, attitude and work ethic of…
L.L.Bean wants to know what you’re doing in its duck boots
L.L.Bean wants to know what you’re doing with its boots and coats after you’ve bought them. That’s why the company is planning a test, placing sensors in merchandise to send…
