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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Target to test vertical farms in stores
Target is looking to shorten the distance from farm to plate with a planned test of vertical farms, an agricultural technique that involves growing plants and vegetables indoors in climatized…
Should Kroger go after Whole Foods?
The business press headlines blew up last week over an analyst’s tweet that Kroger might be looking to acquire Whole Foods. The tweet was speculative, but there are reasons that…
Will others follow Walmart’s lead on manager pay?
Walmart announced earlier this week that it has raised the starting wage it pays entry-level store managers from to $48,500 from $47,476 a year, widely seen as a move to…
Will greeters make Penney a more inviting place to shop?
If greeters worked for Home Depot, perhaps they can do the same at J.C. Penney. The department store chain, led by CEO Marvin Ellison, a former Home Depot executive, has…
Amazon expands lead as product search default
According to a new survey, 55 percent of U.S. consumers begin an online product search on Amazon.com, up from 44 percent at the same time last year. Can personalization advancements…
HSN and QVC shop for retail store space
While HSN and QVC have reportedly been doubling down on digital and mobile to chase the cord-cutters, their latest moves point in the direction of bricks, not clicks. What might…
Is it time for retailers to stop the Thanksgiving madness?
The consumer electronics retailer, hhgregg, is the latest retail chain to announce it is giving store employees the day off on Thanksgiving. Do you see a stronger business case for…
Will Amazon give new meaning to convenience stores?
There is a lot of grocery news coming out about Amazon.com. Could it also be, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, that Amazon is planning to open convenience stores?…
Could a ‘breakfast aisle’ revitalize the grocery center store?
CPG companies may need to look at holistic solutions for retailers that impact not just their categories, but also the total store. Are CPG companies positioned to help guide aisle…
AmazonFresh lowers annual subscription via a $15 monthly rate
How big an impediment to growth has the $299 annual fee been for the AmazonFresh online grocery delivery program? The company may soon find out with a new program that…
Should retail prices in-store be the same as online?
Can a retailer support the same prices in-store as online? From an omnichannel perspective, can retailers afford to lose potential customers if they do not to match their online prices…
Will the “Made by Google” pop-up shops be followed by a retail chain?
It’s no surprise with the holiday season approaching that Google would open a pop-up shop in New York City. But do you think Google will move beyond pop-up shops to…
Will doubling down on e-commerce pay dividends for Walmart?
At last week’s investor meeting, Walmart revealed it would be slowing new store openings while increasing investments in e-commerce and digital initiatives. What do you think of Walmart’s shift focus…
Supply chain management: Lessons not learned
In 2001, a seven-year project concluded that it was possible for the soft goods industry to improve consumer responsiveness while still reducing the time merchandise sits in the supply chain…
Will retailers lose retiring boomers to experiences?
The latest generation of senior citizens, increasingly consisting of retiring boomers, is proving to be healthier and wealthier than their predecessors. Much like Millennials, however, seniors are gravitating towards spending…
Should Bed Bath & Beyond ditch its coupons?
What comes to mind when you make the decision to go shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond? For many consumers, it’s “don’t forget to bring the coupons.” Do you think…
Target piloting Amazon Alexa voice search rival
Target and three other retailers have partnered with natural language processing startup AddStructure to roll out what an AddStructure co-founder describes as a “white-label” spin on Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant,…
Is consistent messaging the key to loyalty?
Engendering retail customer loyalty depends more on consistent marketing efforts than on creating seamless experiences, at least from the perspective of senior retail executives at large companies. That’s according to…
Will retailers find gold or coal in their holiday stockings?
It’s that time of year again when groups go public with sales forecasts for the Christmas selling season. Two of the most anticipated reports are out and predicting merry holidays…
Does Starbucks need to pick up the pace at the drive-thru?
Though Starbucks has a feverishly dedicated customer base, a new study indicates that the chain’s drive-thru experience could stand to be more caffeinated. Could curbside delivery put a dent in…
What is the ‘maker movement’ and should retailers care?
A 2014 article in Adweek describes the maker movement as a “convergence of computer hackers and traditional artisans” that is tapping into a yearning for self-reliance. How would you rate…
