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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Why does Gen Z like brick-and-mortar stores but not malls?
Despite the widespread popularity of online shopping, Generation Z would actually rather shop in stores, according to a study conducted by IBM and the National Retail Federation. How can department…
Is Net Promoter Score flawed?
For more than a decade, the yardstick for measuring business success has been Net Promoter Score, a tool created to gauge customer satisfaction with a single question: “How likely is…
Is there a retail marketing opportunity in unwanted gifts?
According to a new YouGov survey, 30 percent of people rid themselves of at least one holiday present this past holiday season. What more can retailers do to help consumers…
Sir Richard Branson at NRF: Are retailers looking outside the box?
“People who own retail stores should not think of only being retailers, they need to be entrepreneurial and spin off businesses….” according to Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group,…
What’s stalling the virtual reality consumer market?
Although arriving with great fanfare, virtual reality (VR) headsets disappointed for a variety of reasons in 2016 and appear far from going mainstream. Do you see minor or major hurdles…
What made Wendy’s Twitter zing a win?
Social media has changed how brands communicate with their customers, not just in terms of where and how they interact with them, but in the voice they use, as with…
Will blending online/offline roles improve the Walmart customer experience?
In a move designed to give its technology group oversight of the entire customer experience, Walmart on Friday announced several changes that integrate the running of its online and offline…
NRF and 21 retailers launch career training initiative
In a partnership with 21 retailers, The NRF Foundation has launched RISE Up, a training and credentialing initiative focused on prepping entry-level workers for retail careers. Do you think new…
Can AI resolve customer service disputes?
A phone call with a customer service representative can devolve into a nightmare for any number of reasons. But to the extent that problems are caused by a particular customer…
Penney CEO says stores critical to omnichannel push
J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison expects online sales to exceed 20 percent of the company’s total within five years. That’s why he’s reluctant to close any stores, seeing physical locations…
Will Alexa become the voice of IoT?
Artificial Intelligence was topic number one at the 2017 International CES, thanks largely to Amazon’s Alexa, the undisputed star of the technology showcase. How do you ultimately see the battle…
Will its massive jobs announcement change public perceptions of Amazon?
Amazon.com hasn’t always gotten the best press when it comes to its work environment. Will yesterday’s announcement that Amazon plans to create more than 100,000 new full-time jobs with full…
Will 2017 be the year retailers start making their stores relevant again?
This is a dangerous time for store-based retail. Are there retailers who will figure out the future of the store and how that will look? Do you see that retailers…
How will Walgreens benefit from its FedEx drop-off/pickup deal?
Walgreens and Fedex have announced a “long-term” agreement to have the drugstore chain’s locations serve as package drop-off and pickup destinations for FedEx. Do you expect the Walgreens/FedEx drop-off…
Amazon offers yet more perks for Prime members with a cash-back card
The latest perk offered by Amazon is its new Prime Rewards Signature Card that offers users five percent back on everything they buy on the site as well as two…
What will more job cuts mean for Walmart?
Walmart is planning to cut nearly 1,000 corporate jobs by the end of the month, according to reports. Will job cuts impede Walmart in achieving its goals or do you…
What does giving up alcohol say about Starbucks?
Starbucks is reportedly putting an end to its “Evenings” program that brought beer and wine sales to more than 400 of its stores. This is not the first time the…
Are reports on the death of newspapers greatly exaggerated?
While print newspaper ad spending has been plummeting, the same can’t be said for the print audience. A World Press Trends survey released earlier this year indicated that print newspaper…
Will 2017 be the year of the chatbot?
If 2016 was the year chatbots entered the retail scene, 2017 will be the year brands will start to realize real business results from the technology, through increased sales, conversion…
Do healthy foods have a price perception issue?
While Whole Foods has long battled its “whole paycheck” nickname, a new university study finds that the retailer is not alone in facing such biases in the price perception of…
Amazon, Hy-Vee and Safeway among retailers in USDA online food stamp test
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is working with a group of retailers on a pilot designed to test the viability of enabling participants in the Supplemental…
