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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Why is Amazon opening a brick and mortar bookstore?
Amazon.com has long been in the business of putting brick and mortar bookstores out of business. So why would the e-tailing giant now decide to open its own store inside…
Is your body language telling customers to go away?
Looking for how non-verbal communication impacts sales? Your body language sends wordless cues long before you try to close a sale. Is the importance of body language typically addressed in…
Will ‘Bluelight Specials’ bring customers back to Kmart?
It’s déjà vu all over again at Kmart, which is bringing back its “Bluelight Specials” once more in an attempt to drive incremental sales inside the chain’s stores. Will bringing…
Have retailers forgotten the value of a great buyer?
If the volume of articles published recently are a reliable indicator, one might soon conclude that “retail success” today is based strictly on Big Data-based, omnichannel shopping experiences. Noticeably absent…
Will new store concepts work for Kohl’s?
As part of new initiatives under its Greatness Agenda strategy, Kohl’s is pursuing three unique expansion opportunities: smaller stores, off-price stores and outlet stores featuring proprietary brands. Which prototype offers…
‘Brand content doesn’t have to suck’
The headline is a quote from David Carr, The New York Times’ late media critic, according to Tara Fuller, content strategist, T Brand Studio, the branded content team in the…
Should retailers slow down shopping?
The Wall Street Journal last week called out a trend toward “slow shopping,” whereby stores tone down “spend now” pushes in favor of more “leisurely and enriching” experiences. What types…
QVC may have Fire TV on its tail
Amazon.com normally turns up the volume when it has something new to introduce. But lately, on the topic of adding limited e-commerce functionality to its Fire TV devices, the company…
Is chaos coming to the checkout this Christmas?
According to reports, Walmart payments executive John Drechny has warned of “anarchy” this holiday season at other retail stores as the time at checkouts is expanded because of customers struggling…
Chase Pay gets boost from retailers in mobile payment race
JPMorgan Chase is rolling out a rival mobile payment option to Apple Pay with a couple of big differences, and it has a group of large retailers on its side…
Google tool offers local insights for merchants
Providing a deeper dive into its search content, Google has launched a new tool called Shopping Insights that lets retailers analyze product interest by city and time in order to…
Moving from ‘ick’ to influencing consumer behavior
No one wants to hear their behavior described as “pushy,” much less have a description of their work greeted with rolled eyes, sighs or exclamations of “yuck” and “ick.” Yet…
Walgreens and Rite Aid to make one very big drugstore company
Walgreens Boots Alliance has reached a deal valued at $9.4 billion to acquire Rite Aid, bringing together two of the three largest drugstore chains in the U.S. What do you…
Are shipping companies ready for Christmas?
We still haven’t quite reached Halloween, but with Black Friday and Christmas on the horizon, the major U.S. shipping companies are taking steps to keep up with the anticipated seasonal…
REI gives workers the day off on Black Friday
REI was already giving its employees Thanksgiving off. Then management decided that wasn’t enough and gave them Black Friday off as well, with pay. What is your reaction to REI’s…
‘Millennials on steroids’: Is your brand ready for Generation Z?
It’s still early days for Gen Z, but already one defining characteristic is abundantly clear: This generation is WiFi enabled. If the Millennials are the “digital natives,” then this age…
Warning: Processed meats cause cancer
If you are among the millions who love to eat processed meats such as bacon and hot dogs, the World Health Organization wants you to know that you’re killing yourself…
Lord & Taylor is the latest to take the off-price route
Lord & Taylor is joining the likes of Kohl’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue with the launch of its own off-price format next month. Will the continuing proliferation of…
Survey: Mobile users need speed
According to a global survey from Adobe, overall satisfaction on mobile app and mobile browser experiences with retailers was just under 50 percent. What are the biggest frustrations in the…
Is the ad business out of touch?
At the Association of National Advertisers annual “Masters of Marketing” conference, Pepsico exec Brad Jakeman gave a barn-burning speech charging the ad industry with being out of touch with the…
Can American Apparel’s ‘Made in U.S.A.’ model survive bankruptcy?
American Apparel has maintained a “Made in U.S.A.” focus for all of its 15-year history, but its step into bankruptcy proceedings in early October poses risks to its 4,600 factory…
