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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
What does Alexa’s holiday win mean?
Was Alexa’s breakthrough success this holiday season largely a victory for Amazon? Or was it a broader win for smart home devices? Do you see Alexa’s holiday sales traction as…
Will data-driven checkout get shoppers through the line faster?
Grocers have long struggled to reduce the time customers spend waiting in line. Now regional grocer Hy-Vee is addressing the perennial problem with a data-driven solution. Does sensor technology hold…
Did social media incite the post-Christmas mall melees?
Fights broke out in malls involving teens in at least ten states on the day after Christmas, sending shoppers fleeing and social media buzzing. What role, if any, do you…
French retailer parodies Amazon Go
A French retailer, Monoprix, has become the first to parody Amazon Go in a campaign promoting its one-hour home delivery service. Does Monoprix’s one-hour post-shopping delivery program promise an equal…
Which spot gets your vote as the best U.S. Christmas commercial of 2016?
After six weeks of head-to-head competition, we’re ready to pick a winner for this year’s RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. What spot from the weekly winners in this year’s RetailWire…
What were the best last-minute holiday strategies?
With some believing the U.S. election delayed many holiday purchases earlier in the month, retailers brought out all the stops and a few new ones to catch procrastinators on Christmas…
Should department stores talk less about Millennials and more about ‘heavy spenders’?
There’s more than one way to slice the demographics when it comes to identifying who is spending the most in department stores, according to a new study. Should department stores…
The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge Goes Global: Week 4
While last week’s faceoff included retailers from the European mainland, the competitors this time around are based in the U.K. with the off-price TK Maxx chain going up against the…
Are retailers over-promising last-minute BOPIS?
By all indications, Walmart may have launched the first holiday ad dedicated to BOPIS (buy online, in-store pickup). Are retailers prepared to make good on this year’s aggressive promises for…
How are manufacturers failing retailers?
Outside of rock-bottom prices, what can manufacturers do to help their retailer partners — and, by extension, themselves — succeed? For starters, they can stop treating every chain they supply…
Will fast beauty be the new fast fashion?
Since fast fashion swept the apparel landscape, it has fundamentally changed customer expectations about the clothing they wear and the amount they pay for it. Now experts are beginning to…
Can Fred’s thrive as a national competitor?
In a surprise, Fred’s Inc., the Tennessee-based operator of general merchandise stores and pharmacies, stepped in to acquire 865 Rite Aid stores. Does Fred’s stand a better chance than Rite…
Will a higher minimum wage translate to better service levels?
Nearly six out of 10 American consumers say they are justified in expecting better service to accompany a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour. But an even greater number,…
The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge: Dick’s Sporting Goods vs. Toys ‘R’ Us
We’re one week away from determining the ultimate winner of this year’s RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. This week’s matchup pits Dick’s Sporting Goods with its “Sounds of the Season” against…
If not creative directors or data, what can make Gap’s fashions sell?
Some may see a good creative director as a necessity for fashionable apparel design, but Gap CEO Art Peck does not. It’s a sentiment he doubled down on when calling…
Did retailers doom their holidays with deep discounts?
During the holidays, retailers hope to keep sales profitable by getting shoppers into stores without discounting too heavily. But a few studies on holiday spending indicate that this year’s discounts…
Amazon developing Uber-like trucking app
Amazon is reportedly developing an app that connects truck drivers with shippers. The app would include real-time pricing, tracking and payment options as well as other trucker-friendly features. How might…
Starbucks launches its own branded web cartoon
With its latest promotional/entertainment hybrid, Starbucks is debuting a cartoon web series aimed at younger Millennials by writers whose names Generation Xers will also recognize from credits of The Simpsons…
Is Restoration Hardware’s membership program flawed?
Although Restoration Hardware officials have asserted that its new membership program is working fine, a six percent same-stores sales drop in its third quarter has concerned some investors. Can retailers…
A marketplace for pop-ups wants to disrupt the retail real estate business
In a world where many segments of physical retail are lagging, pop-up shops have never been so popular. Now one startup, being billed as “the Airbnb of retail,” has opened…
Brands want more insights from retail POS data
While brand manufacturers continue to invest in POS analytics and gather relevant customer data from retailer partners, 77 percent still believe they can be doing more with the data to…
