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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge – Are global spots better?
We’ve received many requests to review commercials from other countries sent our way by members of the RetailWire community. To that end, today we will begin a separate commercial challenge…
Will UX methodologies bolster retail’s brick & mortar future?
With the never ending concern over the ever changing role of brick & mortar retail, continued e-commerce growth and rapidly ramping m-commerce adoption, a lesson from the user experience (UX)…
Why did RadioShack hire ‘America’s Got Talent’ host as its CCO?
Nick Cannon is a busy guy. In addition to hosting “America’s Got Talent,” he is the chairman of TeenNick for Nickelodeon and the founder of a production agency Ncredible Entertainment…
Are Amazon’s devices big sellers or not?
It was only a few months ago that Amazon.com began shelving and scaling back many of the consumer device projects it was working on. But given Amazon’s Black Friday sales…
Can culture be measured?
Defining the strength of a company’s culture often seems illusive. But Lindsay McGregor and Neel Doshi, co-founders of Vega Factor, a startup that helps organizations build cultures, have developed a…
Will the new/old Lands’ End catch on with consumers?
Will trying some new things without entirely throwing out the old help Lands’ End enjoy the holiday selling season? That’s what the company is in the process of discovering. How…
Will peace on Fifth Avenue give Microsoft an edge over Apple?
The rivalry between Apple and Microsoft is as old as the companies themselves and it has not always been friendly. That’s what makes Microsoft’s new “spirit of the season” commercial…
Why isn’t social driving word-of-mouth offline?
A new study finds that retailers that have been successful at generating attention on social media aren’t necessarily translating it to word-of-mouth attention offline. In what ways is online WOM…
What do mixed consumer reviews mean for the future of tech?
While many retailers zoom into more of a digitally driven future, a recent Harris Poll shows Americans are somewhat wary of how technology is changing aspects of their lives. How…
The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge: Barnes & Noble vs. H&M
Three weeks into our annual Commercial Challenge and so far Macy’s, T.J. Maxx and Best Buy have come out ahead in their respective weekly matchups based on your votes. This…
Did Apple get it right by skipping Black Friday deals?
Apple Stores surprised many by not holding any Black Friday deals. Instead, the doorbusters for Apple’s lineup of products took place at third-party sellers. Do you agree that Apple Stores…
Do the 2015 holidays point to a bigger future for e-commerce?
It may be true that online shopping will never replace stores, but for the first several days of the 2015 holiday shopping season the retailing world got a glimpse of…
Does weak traffic spell trouble for Black Friday?
Traffic, as expected, is projected to have declined again over the first two days of Black Friday weekend. Should retailers be concerned about the apparent erosion in Black Friday weekend…
Is the free Thanksgiving turkey promotion played out?
According to a survey from Precima, the data analytics division of LoyaltyOne, only 27 percent of Millennials find receiving a free turkey around the Thanksgiving holiday “important” versus 66 percent…
Are seasonal employees your saving grace or worst nightmare?
A common situation for retailers occurs during this time of year: How to successfully “man the oars” during the tidal wave of customers? What advice would you have around improving…
Will a new Apple app reshape customer service?
In some ways Apple’s Genius Bar has been a standout in customer service. Yet recently, the Genius Bar has fallen victim to criticism because of the inefficiency of the reservation…
Will PriceLocal help local retailers compete with Amazon?
A new online service called PriceLocal aims to level the playing field with Amazon.com and let local retailers price match items and provide same-day availability. Do you think shoppers will…
Does America need new food labels?
Democratic Party sponsors in the House and Senate have introduced new legislation that would create a single standard for front of package labeling for food products. Do you agree that…
Should REI’s CEO have stayed away from Reddit?
About two weeks after earning wide praise for his decision not to open his company’s doors on Black Friday, Jerry Stritzke, REI’s CEO, fielded questions via an “Ask Me Anything”…
Will fewer shipping options hurt retailers over the holidays?
As many as 68 percent of retailers say they are not well prepared to provide multiple shipping options that will meet customer expectations this holiday season, according to a survey…
Will Petco’s new boss be the same as the old boss?
A deal to merge with PetSmart didn’t work out, but Petco has found a buyer. CVC Capital Partners (CVC) and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) announced a definitive agreement…
