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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Should retail still be nervous about the cloud?
A survey of from IHL Group shows that retailers plan to spend 34 percent of their software budgets on the cloud in 2017, up from 26 percent in 2016. Should…
Will drop shipping online orders deliver results for retailers?
A growing number of retailers are turning to their suppliers to drop-ship orders placed online directly to consumers, The Wall Street Journal reports. Where do you see the biggest opportunities…
Will Whole Foods stay fresh using outside suppliers?
For some shoppers, part of what makes Whole Foods worth the price is its selection of fresh and prepared items. But Whole Foods is heading in the direction of giving…
Do retailers need to work on making more emotional connections?
Two sessions at the 2017 National Retail Federation Big Show explored how developing emotional connections with consumers can help retailers avoid competing as much on price as well as factors…
Has eBay found its retail place online?
The Christmas season was plenty merry for retailers selling goods online. Included among those was eBay, which saw its online marketplace sales grow four percent during the period, spurring the…
Will Snickers score big with live Super Bowl spot?
Marketers behind the Snickers brand are hoping their decision to air a live spot during this year’s Super Bowl broadcast will make their candy the clear commercial winner of the…
Will smartphone payment app help Target get turned around?
Coming off a tough holiday season, Target’s management continues to search for answers that will lead to a turnaround of the mass merchant’s business. Will a newly reported plan to…
How soon before digital technologies reinvent food shopping?
Hailing it as the “Supermarket of the Future,” Coop Italia, Italy’s largest grocery chain, has opened a store the delivers heaps of information to consumers via smart shelves, interactive food…
Will Big Macs boost McD’s results as popularity of all-day breakfast wanes?
Recent sales evidence suggests the allure of being able to get a McMuffin or McGriddles sandwich anytime may be waning. What does McDonald’s plan to do next? Offer more Big…
Are the days of pure play e-tail coming to an end?
While brick and mortar retailers are pushing digital initiatives, news of pure play e-tailers opening physical shops is becoming familiar reading these days. Do you see physical locations become a…
Will growing competition in Florida slow Publix as it heads north?
While some articles have questioned whether strong competitors such as Wegmans will slow the Publix advance northward, it has been widely assumed that the chain had little to worry about…
What will blockchain mean for retail supply chains?
Blockchain, the underlying ledger technology for bitcoin, is being hyped as the way retailers can finally bring holistic visibility and control over their entire supply chains. Does blockchain or similar…
Is four-wall profitability still a relevant metric?
As revealed in an NRF session entitled, “Move Over, Globalization: Community Retail Has Arrived,” due to omnichannel’s influence, a U.K. women’s fitness apparel chain measures performance based on trade area…
Can retail compete for data scientists?
While many sessions at the NRF Big Show 2017 explored the potential of capitalizing on Big Data, a few touched on the challenges of finding employees equipped to handle that…
Can soccer be a differentiator for Target?
In its biggest push ever into team sports, Target reached sponsorship agreements with Major League Soccer, U.S. Youth Soccer and one of MLS’s newest clubs, the Minnesota United FC. Does…
Will online sales redeem struggling brick and mortar retailers?
More consumers than ever before went online to purchase gifts this holiday season. According to reports, plenty of brick and mortar retailers saw e-commerce activity pick up. Unfortunately for some,…
NRF Show attendees aren’t sure how 2017 will shake out
This week’s NRF Big Show marked the seventh straight year that RetailWire hit the floor to ask show attendees in our own random and unscientific manner whether they were more…
What factors weigh on tech purchase decisions?
Tech marketers targeting small businesses should focus on their owners as 83 percent of these companies lack an IT staff and 72 percent of owners say they’re typically responsible for…
Will Walmart’s Scan & Go catch on this time around?
Some ideas were ahead of their time and that’s how Walmart appears to see its Scan & Go mobile app. The retailer is bringing the discontinued mobile checkout app back…
Target gets creative help from Gen Z in new apparel line
With the help of 10 talented members of “Generation Z” — including bloggers, app developers, musicians, authors, surfers, athletes and artists aged 10 to 14 — Target has designed an…
Will a movie and gourmet food combo drive crowds to the mall?
Much of the talk at the recently concluded National Retail Federation Big Show in New York was around experiences and the need for stores and the shopping centers where they…
