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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Holy Smiley Face! Walmart brings back greeters
Back in 2012, George Anderson wrote that Sam Walton had to be turning over in his grave over the news that Walmart had decided to remove greeters from chain’s store…
Why do retailers struggle to measure marketing campaign results?
According to new report from O Alliance, 70 percent of retailers are trying to run campaigns aimed at driving engagement in a different channel from the one in which the…
Is RFID finally ready for prime time at retail?
It has seemed that RFID for retailing has been thought of as a good idea that was not quite ready for prime time. Maybe the tide has turned. At this…
Should Lands’ End follow in Amazon Prime’s footsteps?
Lands’ End CEO Federica Marchionni is either the living embodiment of Miranda Priestly, in “The Devil Wears Prada,” or a forward-looking exec on a mission to bring a once-storied brand…
Kohl’s is the first to link its loyalty and credit cards to Apple Pay
One of the benefits touted when Apple Pay launched was that it would allow consumers to both pay for goods and earn retail reward points with a single tap. That…
Whole Foods rents out space to ‘Friends’ in new 365 stores
While smaller in size and less expensive than its parent’s flagships, 365 by Whole Foods Market will also feature “Friends of 365” partnerships with small businesses that will operate independently…
‘Beyond advertising’: How companies can build better customer relationships
A new book from Wharton argues that consumers are in control and want to interact with companies in new ways. The authors address ways companies can develop a more integrated…
Will Target’s shoppable ads pass the test on Snapchat?
Snapchat, the social networking app that enables users to send short photo or video messages that self-destruct after 10 seconds, is getting into the shoppable ad business, and Target is…
It’s not easy being a teen clothing retailer
Aéropostale has filed for bankruptcy protection less than two weeks after the New York Stock Exchange suspended trading of the company’s shares due to its “abnormally low” trading price. In…
What airline self-check-in can teach retailers
In 2004, more than 80 percent of airline passengers walked up to the ticket counter and talked to an actual human being before boarding a plane. Today, only about 20…
Can grocers get in on the ‘food truck revolution’?
While certainly known for food, grocers have largely ignored the food truck craze. But Raley’s Family of Fine Stores and Whole Foods Markets recently took different twists on the opportunity…
Can a social sneaker sales site stand on its own two feet?
For shopping or socializing, we mostly stick to our go-to e-commerce giants, like Amazon, and our social media giants, like Facebook. But there are still niches in which smaller websites…
Are free shipping expectations crushing smaller retailers?
A Wall Street Journal article last week detailed how free shipping has become e-commerce’s loss leader. Worst affected, perhaps, are smaller e-commerce players that can’t absorb the shipping costs. Is…
‘One size fits all’ doesn’t work for Millennials
The impression is that Millennials are all tech obsessed, custom coffee drinkers who retrofit old trends to make them new again. But research demonstrates there are considerable differences in behavior…
Should lower-tier private labels avoid being ‘ethical’?
A university study finds lower-tier private label brands don’t gain much benefit from ethical positioning in the form of a consumer’s willingness to pay more. Indeed, such a strategy can…
Amazon crushes it
Amazon’s first quarter results blew past analyst expectations. When all was said and done, Amazon’s net sales increased 28 percent for the period and profits were up for the fourth…
Could chatbots redefine retail customer service?
At its F8 Developer Conference in mid-April, Facebook opened its Messenger platform to chatbot services, an enhancement that the social media giant said will change the way users access information,…
Target sings a Latin musical marketing tune
There’s nothing new about Target’s sponsorship of the 2016 Billboard Latin Music Awards show. The big news is that Target has significantly increased its marketing budget intended to attract and…
Should authorized retailers ever violate MAP policies?
A study from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University finds that while authorized retailers stand to benefit from MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) policies, some wind up violating them…
New RadioShack CEO promises to reinvent business model
RadioShack has hired a new president and CEO and, like many before him, he’s promising to finally put things right at the chain that bills itself as the “neighborhood electronics…
Etsy sets up sellers to go solar
Life hasn’t been easy for Etsy in the year since its IPO. Etsy hasn’t been idle, though. Its most recent move seems to be on-trend and may pioneer a new…
