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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Do retail marketers have an appetite for data science?
Due to a lack of skills, marketers spend a good portion of their budgets outsourcing analytics, according to a recent Gartner report. Do you think marketers are wise to outsource…
Is Nordstrom smart to bring Trunk Club’s fulfillment in-house?
Since Trunk Club’s founding in 2009, the online personal shopper site has handled most of its own fulfillment. That will change next month. Do you see Nordstrom’s decision to integrate…
Yes! McD’s McGriddles all-day, every day
While all-day breakfast has helped boost sales at many McDonald’s, franchisees initially pushed back over multiple concerns. Now the company has announced a move to expand its all-day breakfast menu…
Will getting rid of list prices help or hurt Amazon?
According to reports, Amazon.com has concluded that large numbers of consumers will only make a purchase if the items they are looking to buy are discounted. What do you think…
Should retailers outsource delivery logistics?
Promising to help smaller to mid-size online sellers “achieve the scale, speed, reach and efficiency of Amazon,” ShipBob recently raised $4 million in a round of funding to further its…
Dollar stores — they have the meats
According to a new survey, the percentage of American consumers visiting dollar stores to purchase meat and poultry rose from three percent in 2014 to seven percent this year. Do…
Are out-of-stocks driving shoppers online?
Frustrations over out-of-stocks were again sparked by a fairly innocuous article last week on retailers reducing inventories. One theme was that out-of-stocks are causing shoppers to buy on Amazon. Are…
Should e-mails and other personal info be for sale?
While not as disturbing as an all-out hack, shoppers are often surprised to find their personal information sold to a competing retailer or another marketing entity. Do you expect that…
How important is non-transactional data to personalized offers?
Today, thanks to the digital revolution — and mobile phones, in particular — retailers find themselves able to gather a lot more customer information than they may have ever thought…
Amazon’s Prime Day countdown begins
About a year ago, Amazon.com was touting its first annual Prime Day event with the goal of replacing Black Friday as the busiest retail sales day of the year. In…
Locally.com lets consumers see inventory at nearby shops
Frustrated by losing sales to the Amazons of the world, a handful of outdoor retailers in 2014 launched Locally.com to open up online inventory visibility for local retailers. How might…
Will Kellogg’s cereal café snap, crackle or pop?
Since 2008, New York foodies have talked up the “cereal milk” dessert at Momofuku Milk Bar. Now one of the oldest cereal manufacturers has gotten hip to the trend. Will…
Retailers stand out on Fortune’s ‘100 Best Workplaces for Millennials’ list
A new Fortune list of the best employers for Millennials, at least from a retailer perspective, includes many of the same companies that are regularly mentioned in other less age-specific…
Marc’s sends recipes via beacons
Allrecipe and Marc’s stores are partnering to provide beacon-triggered meal ideas, recipes and product suggestions to shoppers via a mobile app, making a strong use case for beacons that goes…
Can retailers sell anything without sales?
It seems that everyday priced items fail to turn, while promoted products provide lift, but not like in years past. Consumers have figured out the marketing game played by brands…
Walmart promotes and takes heat for ‘Made in USA’ goods
The Fourth of July is near. This is the time of year for companies to wrap their brands in the American flag. While generally a winning strategy, some can find…
What does it take to deliver on the promise of customer centricity?
Near-term success for food companies will require laser-focused attention on the needs and desires of customers, not only in the marketing department, but also in the merchandising department. What are…
How should luxury brands embrace the internet?
Research shows that only 10 percent of luxury sales happen online. Yet purveyors of posh are exploring how to harness the power of online channels in a way that augments…
What do celebrity chefs know about food retailing?
It turns out that celebrity chefs/restaurateurs/TV stars Mario Batali and Robert Irvine know a lot about food retailing and how to make food shopping more exciting, which they showcased …
Barnes & Noble to sell beer & wine in new concept stores
Barnes & Noble last week said it plans to introduce an elevated restaurant concept at four of its stores. The restaurants will be led by an executive chef bringing food,…
Sears extends iconic brands in surprising ways
Sears is introducing Kenmore TVs, DieHard tires and adding a few Craftsman connected-home devices to maximize the value of its star in-house brands. Do you see Sears’ moves to extend…
