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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Retailers need to do a better job delivering groceries
New research by the Retail Feedback Group reveals that shoppers are skittish about home delivery of frozen and refrigerated foods. Why do you think consumers give low quality product ratings…
Amazon to begin making in-home deliveries in 37 cities
Amazon.com has announced the launch of Amazon Key, a new service that allows Prime members to have orders delivered inside their homes. What impact will Amazon Key have on Amazon’s…
How will AI transform the online experience?
According to a survey from SLI Systems, 54 percent of mid-size retailers are using or plan to use artificial intelligence as an online tool in the next 12 months. Do…
Online fraud is a $4 billion retail problem
With numerous instances of retail fraud, its pervasiveness undermines retailer, bank, credit card and e-commerce credibility. With the rise of EMV chips in use at physical stores, fraudsters are shifting…
Target has a plan to end the Christmas sales madness
The 2016 Christmas selling season was a disappointment for Target with same-store sales declining 1.3 percent. The retailer isn’t looking to repeat the same mistakes. Does Target have the right…
How should independents prepare for Black Friday?
While many small retailers maintain that Black Friday is for the big stores, customers will be visiting for one reason: The deal. How should independents prepare for Black Friday and…
Can Barneys tap into ‘drop’ culture?
In a partnership with Highsnobiety, the streetwear publication, Barneys is launching “thedrop@barneys,” a two-day event highlighting 30 exclusive capsule collection and product “drops” — or limited-edition launches — at its…
Apple opens invisible hangout in Chicago
Declared its “most ambitious store to date” and winning raves across tech blogs, the Apple Michigan Avenue store, opened last Friday, is about five blocks south from where the company’s…
Will in-store clienteling aid Neiman Marcus’ digital push?
As a driver of its just-announced digital first strategy, Neiman Marcus is counting on in-store associates, armed with sophisticated data-grabbing tools, to link offline to online worlds. Do you see…
Will same-day pay help hourly workers and their employers?
Waiting between paychecks can be a big source of stress for people with bills to pay and no money to spare. Now comes a startup that could help a huge…
Walmart to open web mall with Lord & Taylor as an anchor
Walmart may not be able to take down Amazon.com on its own, but perhaps it can accomplish the feat by banding with other retailers. That strategy may be behind the…
Drone-to-hand delivery could become a thing
Retailers and tech developers have piloted many creative drone delivery solutions in recent years as they try to envision the future of the last mile. But while most have focused…
Do U.S. retailers have a big cross-border opportunity?
According to the “2017 Pitney Bowes Global Ecommerce Study,” 52.7 percent of U.S. retailers already engage in cross-border e-commerce and another 39.7 percent plan to in the next 12 months…
E-commerce chief expects Walmart to ‘crush it’ over next two years
Bigger is better when it comes to online sales and operations. That was one of the messages delivered by Marc Lore, chief of Walmart’s e-commerce business in the U.S., at…
Consumers don’t trust what CEOs are saying
According to a new global survey from communications firm FleishmanHillard, employees are nearly three times more credible on average than company leaders. Has the increasing distrust in corporations and institutions…
Amazon’s Prime membership grows to 90 million in U.S.
The Census Bureau pegs the number of households in the U.S. at just under 126 million with 2.53 members per household on average. Based on new research, one could assume…
Should the holiday selling season be retired?
While the relevancy of Black Friday has been widely questioned in recent years, Denise Lee Yohn, brand expert and author, believes it’s time for retailers to downplay the holiday selling…
Online and Amazon to grow more dominant over the next decade
Consumers will continue to make more purchases online while cutting back on in-store purchases over the next decade, according to a report by FTI Consulting, which forecasts total online spending…
Amazon is making a power move on Nike and other sportswear brands
Amazon.com has contacted Taiwanese vendors that manufacture apparel for Nike, Lululemon Athletica, Under Armour and others about producing small lots of private label athletic wear. How do you think Amazon…
What is the online marketplace opportunity for retailers?
Online marketplaces are predicted to drive much of e-commerce’s robust growth in the decades ahead. And while Amazon.com and Alibaba are retailers and formidable competitors, they have also created the…
Should Kroger sell its c-stores?
Kroger recently announced enhanced investments in several areas, but it seems the retailer is considering a more surprising move – selling its convenience store operations. Would it be a good…
