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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Will Walmart’s price push pull customers away from Aldi?
There aren’t many grocers who can go head-to-head with Walmart on groceries and come out ahead. Aldi is one of the few and it appears Walmart management has decided to…
Has J.C. Penney pulled off ‘one of the greatest financial turnarounds in retail history’?
In a recent earnings call, Marvin Ellison admitted that there was no reason to be “satisfied with where we are as a company,” but said Penney had defied “conventional wisdom”…
Will smart shelves ever be smart enough for Kroger and other retailers?
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Kroger CIO Chris Hjelm said the supermarket’s test of smart shelves has reached 14 locations. With Kroger’s mobile app open, sensors detect…
Will irrational shipping prices doom brick and mortar stores?
In 2015, just before Dan Gilmore, Editor-in-Chief, Supply Chain Digest, led a presentation on e-commerce at a supply chain forum at Penn State, a retail exec gave him an interesting…
Why are stores waiting until checkout to ID shoppers?
According to Boston Retail Partners’ 18th Annual POS/Customer Engagement Survey, retailers are still struggling to find the best way to identify customers as they walk through their doors. Is the…
Did Walmart’s short films win Oscar night?
For its first-ever commercials for the Academy Awards, Walmart recruited some acclaimed directors to move its messaging beyond low prices. What do you think of Walmart’s Academy Awards placement and…
Is Amazon’s Alexa a threat to rival retailers?
About a month ago, a six-year old managed to order a dollhouse and six pounds of cookies by interacting with Alexa. A lesson in setting a PIN for mom. In…
Is McDonald’s backpedaling on fast casual with a low-price strategy?
The major news about McDonald’s coming out over the past year has depicted a chain revamping its look and feel to try to dump its budget image and compete with…
Has Gap finally turned its business around?
Looking at the latest quarterly results, a two percent gain in overall sales, you would be hard pressed to conclude that Gap Inc. is on a roll. But, Gap CEO…
Will a new TJX concept put more hurt on department stores?
The off-price chains that make up TJX Companies are frequently brought up as a competitive factor to explain the struggles department stores have had in recent years. Now comes yesterday’s…
Six ways to prevent your e-mails from being flagged as graymail
Graymail is e-mail customers opted-in to receive from you, but now don’t really want. Here are six ways to avoid being gray-mailed. What compels you to engage in e-mail content…
Will dropping double coupons and senior discounts cost Kroger customers?
A decision by Kroger to drop double coupons and senior discounts along with a switch to lower everyday prices in its Nashville region is big news to customers who shop…
Can Walmart grow its online business profitably?
Walmart had several positive developments to report in its fourth quarter earnings release. And on yesterday’s earnings call with analysts, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon pointed to progress the company is…
What tech tools do independent grocers need to compete with e-tailers?
Amazon.com was the boogeyman at the National Grocers Association’s Annual Conference last week in Las Vegas. The Seattle-based retailer was the focus of several panels and sessions, booths and networking…
How long should data consolidation take?
Twenty-seven percent of manufacturers report spending three to five days a month consolidating data to support category management insights, with a further 26 percent spending a full five days on…
Are Boomers being ignored by retailers?
Boomers, long showered with affection by marketers, are feeling overlooked and under-rewarded by retailers, according to a survey from ICLP, the loyalty marketing agency. Is it wise for retailers and…
Third-party e-commerce fulfillers: Friend or foe to the grocers?
Ask any retailer to name their most valuable assets and they will put their customer base at the top of the list. Not too far behind, likely in their top…
Will acquisition of a mom and pop shop pay off big for Kroger?
Kroger, with nearly 2,800 locations, in early February acquired Murray’s Cheese, best known for its famed location on Bleecker Street in NYC. Are national chains such as Kroger becoming better…
Will Costco, Kohl’s, Target, et al give Google Home an edge over Amazon’s Echo?
“Okay, Google. How do I shop?” Those simple words may signal Google beginning to eat into the early market share lead that Amazon.com has established with its voice-activated Echo devices…
Will Dunnhumby’s analytics do for Whole Foods what it did for Kroger?
As it struggles to regain ground, Whole Foods is forming a relationship with the analytics company generally associated with making Kroger such a success. How much have customer analytics been…
Do consumers want to follow grocers on social media?
A new survey from Retail Feedback Group finds that while 87 percent of supermarket shoppers report regularly engaging with one or more social media sites, just 25 percent indicate they…
