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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Rent the Runway sees new program leading to a ‘closetless’ future
Rent the Runway, the subscription service that allows women to rent high-end designer fashions, is adding a new, more affordable monthly option intended to make its service accessible to the…
Will lessons learned at Amazon Books translate to Whole Foods?
A recent WSJ article considers whether dynamic pricing, user reviews, customized suggestions and other features Amazon has built into its physical book stores will be rolled into the new Whole…
A mall carves out pop-up space for online brands
Attempting to bring greater brand discovery to the mall, Roosevelt Field on Long Island is introducing a 3,500 square feet space dedicated largely to online-only brands. Do online brands have an…
Should Coach Inc. have changed its name?
Coach’s acquisition of Stuart Weitzman in 2015 and Kate Spade this year is part of its strategy, initiated three years ago, to become a multi-brand conglomerate. But Coach Inc.’s decision last week…
Is Kroger in denial about the magnitude of its challenges?
According to Bloomberg columnist Sarah Halzack, Kroger is in denial about the competitive challenges it faces. She criticizes the grocer’s strategic moves as little more than anteing up table stakes…
Are retailers shortchanging the digital transformation?
Digital commerce and marketing technologies are available to help retailers fight back against the “Amazon effect.” However, most retailers don’t appear to be doing nearly enough. Do you see retailers…
Amazon has plans to deliver packages to car trunks
Where will they deliver online orders to next? Amazon.com may soon be placing packages in the trunks of customers’ cars or drop them inside of homes instead of outside where…
Amazon gives teens their own Prime logins
Amazon’s new program allows teenagers to have their own login and make use of Prime account benefits if their parents are members. Will Amazon succeed in signing up large numbers…
Is a standalone beauty concept the right plan for Forever 21?
Following on the success of J.C. Penney’s collaboration with Sephora and the successful Bluemercury chain, now owned by Macy’s, apparel retailer Forever 21 is piloting a beauty-centered concept called Riley…
Are store brands a ‘fundamental defining piece’ of the retail experience?
Boxed, the online wholesaler and retailer, believes that private brands, when done well, are not just an add-on or “me too” value option anymore but can be a “fundamental defining…
What marketing lessons can we learn from Amazon?
Amazon Marketplace strategy expert Kiri Masters looks at how the classic “4 P’s of Marketing” model gives us a framework to dissect some of Amazon’s strategy over the years. Which…
Meijer cuts IT staff as it moves to the cloud
Meijer has become the latest company to lay off information technology (IT) staff as those functions are farmed out to a third-party technology vendor with expertise in cloud computing. Considering…
How can retail stores open doors to higher quality applicants?
With unemployment at record lows, making jobs easy to apply for has never been more important. Mel Kleiman offers questions to prompt employers to open more “doors” to the best…
Walmart seeks online edge with 35-second returns
Beginning next month, Walmart customers who place orders online will be able to use the chain’s new Mobile Express Returns function in its mobile app to process returns, the company…
Is Ace on-brand with The Grommet acquisition?
Ace has purchased a majority share in The Grommet, an online start-up that markets products created by entrepreneurs and inventors available online, boasting such consumer hits as Sodastream and FitBit…
Will Lidl follow Aldi’s path in the U.S. – or Tesco’s?
Reports have surfaced that Lidl, the German grocery chain with big expansion plans for the U.S., is seeing poor opening performance at some of its new stores in this country…
Are retailers confusing customer service with the customer experience?
According to the authors of a new book, companies carefully craft the products they sell to customers, but rarely do they give the same thoughtfulness to designing what could be…
What does all the noise around Amazon’s ‘Seller Flex’ program mean?
Amazon is testing a new delivery program called “Seller Flex” through which the e-commerce giant picks up packages from its third-party sellers and delivers the products to consumers. Could this…
Office Depot to transform into IT service giant after $1B deal
Office Depot last week agreed to acquire CompuCom Systems for $1 billion, thereby incorporating a sizable tech-assistance platform into its traditional office products retail operation. Do you see IT services…
Costco ups its delivery game for online orders
Costco is all about attracting members to its warehouse clubs. Even this week, when the company announced the rollout of two new delivery options, Costco maintains that attracting members to…
Can e-tailers use ‘digital body language’ to convert shoppers?
A new approach to conversion may require understanding digital body language, a combination of all the digital gestures and micro-signals customers may exhibit during their online shopping journey. How effectively…
