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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Has Walmart found a digital answer for empty store shelves?
There’s a lot going on at Walmart these days as the retailing giant continues its aggressive push to create a seamless omnichannel experience. One example was revealed yesterday that the…
Are free returns a good way to drive online sales?
They didn’t invent it, but Zappos is widely credited with using a free product return policy to drive online sales. Yet retailers are as wary about free returns as consumers…
Can RadioShack come back from bankruptcy — again?
RadioShack is headed to bankruptcy court again. The chain’s owner, General Wireless Operations, filed for Chapter 11 yesterday after having previously announced it was in the process of closing 200…
Is the sole proprietor toast?
On a recent weekend shopping trip, the proprietor of a women’s wear store seemed a little down. She expressed her concern that her business efforts “might all be for nothing.”…
Will Dick’s Sporting Goods win by cutting SKUs?
Ed Stack, CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods, announced that the company has established “a new merchandising and vendor matrix.” In the end, implementation of the plan will mean up to…
Are retailers vulnerable to hacks from within?
Columbia Sportswear has filed suit against a former employee, alleging he hacked into the company’s e-mail system for more than two years so that he could gain access to information…
Are chains cannibalizing their own in-store sales with e-commerce?
Steven Miller, CEO of Big 5 Sporting Goods, last week became the latest exec to assert the notion that retailers are cannibalizing their own brick & mortar sales when they…
Will using Uber for home deliveries work for Kroger?
Kroger’s streak of quarterly same-store gains has ended after 13 years, but the supermarket giant is intent on starting a new run. Part of the strategy may come in tests…
Will the joking stop now that IKEA furniture can be assembled in minutes?
One may wonder what would happen if IKEA ever produced furniture that was easy to put together. Would there be anything that could stop the company from world domination? What…
Should grocers open slow checkout lanes for seniors?
A university study from the U.K. recommends that grocers establish a slow checkout lane to improve the shopping experience for the elderly. What are the pros and cons of offering…
Is raising membership fees getting riskier for Costco?
Facing a host of competitive pressures, Costco last week announced a raise in its membership fees for first time since 2011. Is now the right time for Costco to raise…
Will content ever top discounts in e-mail campaigns?
According to a new study, 47 percent of marketers believe exclusive content helps to achieve their e-mail marketing campaign objectives. Yet an accompanying survey of U.K. consumers found only four…
Will VR/AR keep consumers out of stores?
A new survey from GPShopper finds consumers are highly interested in using both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) as part of the shopping experience. However, many are seeing…
How long before Abercrombie & Fitch’s rebranding takes hold?
After years of negative comps, Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is in the early stages of a rebranding effort. Unfortunately, there is scant evidence the chain will succeed after posting a…
Are Martha Stewart and Macy’s still made for each other?
Macy’s and Martha Stewart are getting along famously these days. The department store and Sequential Brands Group, which owns Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, announced a new multi-year agreement with Macy’s…
Has the retail industry upped its customer service game?
Customer satisfaction with retailers following the 2016 holiday season was at an all-time high, according to the recently published study results. But some of the reasons these customers were happier…
Will consumers make a pilgrimage to Yeti?
Yeti, known for its heavy-duty drinking tumblers and ice chests, is earning wide praise for its new Austin flagship. Would you commend Yeti for opening one “destination” showroom rather than…
Did Wall Street miss on Best Buy’s Q4 results?
Shares of Best Buy took a hit yesterday after the consumer electronics chain announced a decline in same-store sales for the holiday quarter and forecast the same for the first…
Will the AWS outage make retailers think twice about cloud?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has become the backbone of so many business-critical tools that it’s almost impossible to imagine the internet without it. So when AWS experiences a cloud outage…
Will Target’s $7 billion investment pay off in market share gains?
Yesterday Target reported same-store sales and profits were down in the fourth quarter and said it expects more of the same in 2017. Management also announced that Target would invest…
How omnichannel is offering wholesalers and retailers new partnering opportunities
Omnichannel is requiring both retailers and distributors to think in terms of “mass distribution” customized for single products to individual consumers. And retailers do not have the infrastructure, systems or…
