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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Should American retailers co-opt Singles Day?
Singles Day is huge in China. Just ask Alibaba, which reported sales for the day reached $14.3 billion, a 60 percent increase over the same day in 2014. Alibaba rang…
What will the Roundy’s acquisition mean for Kroger and Mariano’s?
Kroger, the largest operator of supermarkets in the U.S., is about to get bigger. The company announced a definitive agreement to acquire Roundy’s. What will the merger of Kroger and…
What’s holding back innovation in grocery private label?
Although it should be a great place to make small bets, “Private label has historically had a high aversion to risk. And innovation requires risk,” says Bob Shaw, president and…
Did Walmart cross a line with its facial recognition tech test?
Whether or not the public at large will accept the use of facial recognition in their daily lives remains to be seen, but it is clear that retailers are willing…
How can retailers find the right balance between tech and humans?
Retailers’ love affair with data-driven insights and action will continue to heat up as tech advances promise to keep everything fresh and exciting. But the human touch that, back in…
What happens now that Mango is bailing on J.C. Penney?
A business relationship that started out with so much hope has obviously not worked out as the Spanish fast fashion retailer, Mango, announced plans to close all of its 450…
The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge: Macy’s vs. Toys “R” Us
It’s time again for our RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge! What is your critique of Macy’s “The Wish Writer” and Toys “R” Us’ “Christmas Tree”? Which do you think does a…
Should you decorate your store for the holidays?
Decorating a store at various seasonal times and holidays goes to the heart of what makes great retailing; it piques a shopper’s curiosity to discover what is new. We aren’t…
Retailers have never declared war on Christmas — ever
Death and taxes are not the only certainties in life. You can also add the annual claim by some that retailers — those pursuers of all things controversial — are…
Why is social media not working for customer service?
Despite promises to eliminate long waits on hold and speed consumers to empowered associates, the use of social media to handle customer service issues remains stubbornly ineffective for most retailers…
Technology is important, but trust is essential
We talk a lot about omnichannel retail and giving today’s shoppers every option when it comes to product ordering and delivery. But what is really at the heart of retail…
Will mobile nutrition apps become ‘go-to’ sources for grocery shoppers?
While nutrition ratings hangtags haven’t exactly transformed the grocery shopping experience as some expected, several mobile apps have arrived promising to deliver a timelier, easier-to-understand and personalized nutrition-checking tool. Will…
Will Santa bring shoppers to Walmart this Christmas?
Santa definitely drives traffic to the mall, but will he bring people to a Walmart Supercenter? Walmart is hoping to put Kris Kringle’s magic to work by stationing the jolly…
Will Americans ever give up their paper coupons?
Americans want their coupons, especially the printed kind. That’s the finding of new research by CreditCards.com, which found that even young, connected consumers make use of old fashioned paper coupons…
GiftStarter applies crowdfunding concept to group gifting
GiftStarter, a Seattle startup, has launched a crowdfunded gifting platform designed to enable buyers to combine individual budgets to give better gifts to their loved ones. Do you see GiftStarter,…
Is customer experience the new loyalty?
Customer experience, like customer engagement, is a term that defines the white-hot space right now for marketers, much like CRM in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But things are…
Are stores offering clicks but messing up the collect part of orders?
A recent visit to the service counter at a big box store was an eye opener for George Anderson. He experienced what can happen when a customer buys online and…
Will digital promotions make Target’s Christmas?
Will Target’s recent rebound continue or will a rough holiday season negate the chain’s recent gains? That’s what many Target watchers are wondering as the chain kicks off a new…
Are consumers and retailers ready to go all-in on shop-and-scan tech?
Ask consumers what they dislike most about shopping in stores and checking out will be at or near the top of list. In most cases, speed is the primary reason…
Will employee owners make H-E-B even tougher to compete with?
H-E-B is the largest private employer in the state of Texas. It is also one of the few companies that can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Kroger and Walmart…
How can stores alleviate Millennials’ healthy choice dilemma?
Despite their tenuous financial state, with some often forgoing doctor visits to save money, young people are more passionate and committed to making significant healthy changes than Boomer or Gen-X…
