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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Retail and weather go together
The “complex and nuanced” ways weather can influence sales was explored in a National Retail Federation and Planalytics’ report, “5 Myths About the Weather & Its Impact on Retail.” Which…
Will other grocers beat Amazon Go to the punch?
While the U.S. continues to wait for the arrival of Amazon Go, other retailers are entering the cashier-less store space — including Amazon’s biggest emerging e-commerce rival. Do you see…
RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge: The Final
After six weeks of head-to-head competition, it’s time to pick this year’s winner of the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. Which of the weekly winners in this year’s RetailWire Christmas Commercial…
What does Bass Pro owe Cabela’s hometown?
In the city of Sidney, NE, about a third of the city’s residents have been on edge since October 2016 when Bass Pro announced it would purchase their hometown employer,…
What retail apocalypse?
While the disruption that has resulted in the closure of thousands of stores has been the talk of retail this year, the industry just scored its best holiday period since…
How should Apple manage its throttling scandal?
Apple has attracted an ardent fan base that few other brands enjoy. But a controversy that has emerged in the last week may be doing some damage to that brand…
Does drop ship put too much stress on the supply chain?
A panel at last month’s Retail Value Chain Federation conference in Scottsdale explored the inventory challenges vendors face supporting drop shipping for their retail partners’ online operations. What unique logistical…
Lululemon leans on personal development of associates
Lululemon recently landed as the highest-ranked retailer on Glassdoor’s “2018 Best Places to Work” survey for U.S. companies. One of its unique attributes is its investment in store associates’ personal…
Is ‘brick mining’ valuable enough to justify physical stores?
As retailers continue to determine what the ultimate role of the physical store will be in an omnichannel world, they’re discovering that brick-and-mortar stores can tell them a lot about…
U.S. retailers in dire need of growth look to the China market
In 2017, a growing number of Western retailers decided to go where they can grow. Toys “R” Us, Starbucks and now Walgreens are among retailers expanding their brick-and-mortar and e-commerce…
Will a store-within-a-store work for deli?
Store-within-a-store concepts have worked well for some big-name retailers. Now regional grocer Schnucks is trying out the model in a part of the store where you might not expect a…
BoxLunch builds a shopping mall presence with built-in charity
Plenty of stores run holiday efforts promoting charitable causes, but one brick-and-mortar retailer has charitable giving built into its business model and brand identity year-round. Should more brick-and-mortar retailers consider…
RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge: Best Buy vs. P.C. Richard & Son
This week’s RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge is a David and Goliath matchup between P.C. Richard & Son, a 75-store chain selling consumer electronics and major appliances in the New York…
7-Eleven goes omnichannel with mobile, BOPIS and delivery
7-Eleven is testing a new mobile app at 10 locations in Dallas that will allow customers to order items for delivery or pickup. Do you see much consumer demand for…
Branding for a brand-averse generation
Heavily inundated with advertising from conception, Gen Z customers have a built-in ad blocker. In a 2016 study by Vision Critical, 60 percent of Gen Z reported finding advertising “of…
Are shoppable recipes a bigger opportunity than meal kits?
While meal kits have earned more buzz, a similar yet simpler option gaining traction are online shoppable recipes, as with those being pushed currently by Amazon. Do shoppable recipes offer…
Are on-the-road shopping apps helpful or hazardous?
General Motors has launched an app that allows customers to easily shop major food establishments while they’re on the road — and some auto safety advocates aren’t happy about it…
Hershey and Campbell splurge big on better-for-you acquisitions
When customers think Hershey, they think chocolate. But that could change as the company undertakes an acquisition of a snack company famous for crunchier fare. What do you see as…
Are holiday gifts in the workplace an untapped retail opportunity?
According to CareerBuilder’s Annual Holiday Survey, 22 percent of workers plan to buy holiday gifts for their co-workers and 22 percent plan to buy a gift for their boss. In…
Did Netflix cross the data-disclosure line?
A social media firestorm erupted last week after a tweet from Netflix arrived that some felt shamed 53 of its subscribers for their obsessive viewing habits. Why did Netflix’s “A…
Are smart homes smart enough to foil package thieves?
With e-commerce’s rapid expansion, so grow the number of incidents of packages being stolen from consumers’ doorsteps. Do you see smart cameras, smart locks or smart mailboxes providing the best…
