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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
What will Walmart gain from its Moosejaw acquisition?
Walmart announced yesterday that it had acquired Moosejaw, “The Most Fun Outdoor Retailer on the Planet according to our moms,” for $51 million. What will the deal for Moosejaw mean…
Lidl is ahead of schedule for U.S. store openings
The German grocery chain, Lidl, is anxious to enter the American market and so far, at least, progress has been good. The company has announced plans to open 20 stores…
What does it take to drive a top-down plan for customer-centricity?
To effectively establish an enterprise-wide customer-centric mindset, change management is the key, and change management initiatives work best when driven from the C-suite, according to Clay Walton-House, who leads the…
Is Amazon the most innovative company in retailing?
Is Amazon an innovative retail juggernaut or a charlatan hiding behind world-class marketing and public relations? Fast Company thinks it is the former and has just named Amazon the most…
Will having the same buyers for online and stores work for Walmart?
Last month, Walmart announced it was combining responsibilities for its online and store businesses under single executives in the areas of customer experience, marketing, supply chain and technology. Now comes…
Zappos takes to the road to connect with consumers
Lacking the physical store outreach of its mighty parent company, Amazon.com, Zappos this year is rolling out a “Friends with Benefits Road Show” to allow its loyal customers — and…
Is third-party content more effective in generating online sales?
With customers increasingly relying on customer ratings and reviews to guide purchasing decisions, has information from manufacturers and retailers become less important? Should retail or brand websites steer browsers toward…
Will women buy lingerie from Amazon?
Amazon.com is already having success convincing consumers to buy a wide variety of clothing on its site. Now, according to news reports, it is looking to build on that performance…
Will Neiman Marcus find gold with its women’s plus-size pilot?
Luxury department store operator Neiman Marcus has announced that it will pilot a test of plus-size women’s clothing in five of its Last Call outlet stores, following two years of…
Should L.L.Bean ditch its legendary return policy?
Looking for ways to cut costs, L.L.Bean may overhaul its generous return policy and eliminate year-round free shipping. How important is L.L. Bean’s legendary return policy to its overall success?
How price competitive does Whole Foods need to be?
Whole Foods Markets, reporting its sixth straight quarterly decline in same-store sales, is apparently finding its “Whole Paycheck” reputation tougher to shake now that organic offerings are widely available across…
What goes into productive sales calls at retail?
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, how do you make the best use of precious time during a sales call? What information should you ask for, and how much…
Will in-home consults give Amazon the keys to the smart home market?
Amazon.com has rolled out a new service on the West Coast, which offers free in-home consultations for customers interested in smart home technology. Will offering free in-home consultations enable Amazon.com…
Is personalization better appreciated online or in stores?
A new survey from Episerver, a digital content software provider, shows that consumers are more open to personalization techniques when provided by computer algorithms online than by associates in-store. Does…
Will a universal cart change online shopping?
Amazon.com customers can order goods from multiple vendors with a single click. But shopping on individual retailer and brand websites, payment gets complicated. Could Shop.co’s “universal cart” be effective in…
Did President Trump go too far with his Nordstrom tweet?
Donald Trump took to Twitter yesterday to call out Nordstrom for making the decision to delist his daughter Ivanka’s line of clothing from its stores and website. What is your…
Why in-store merchandising has to change
At fixture and merchandising plan meetings attended over thirty-plus years, discussions centered on logistics and space availability, but there was little or no focus on shopper convenience or shopping efficiency…
What makes Americans such fans of IKEA?
In an era when many big box retailers are experimenting with scaled-down store formats, IKEA has just opened its largest warehouse in the United States at a location in Burbank,…
How good is ‘close enough’ when it comes to in-store inventory?
In RSR’s most recent look into retailers’ supply chain execution strategies, we found a lot to be wanting. Retailers are, for the most part, only guessing how much inventory they…
Are vendors and stores headed for a fight over Amazon?
Hanesbrands has been aggressively reallocating resources over the last several years to capitalize on retail sales moving from stores to online, but last week acknowledged it’s not been fast enough…
When will sustainable fashion go mainstream?
H&M’s new Conscious Exclusive Collection is unique — a line of formal wear for women, men and kids made from plastic bottles and grocery bags that have washed up on…
