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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Retailers suffer the high cost of overstocks and out-of-stocks
Overstocks and out-of-stocks cost retailers $1.1 trillion globally in lost revenue, according to a new study from IHL Group, commissioned by OrderDynamics. Which emerging technologies, organizational realignments or other changes…
Macy’s to go more upscale in best stores
Macy’s is looking to get out of the middle of the retailing road with a plan to add more upscale merchandise at its top 150 stores. Is Macy’s making the…
Consumers want their printed circulars
Mobile is remaking retail as consumers increasingly use their devices to hunt for information before they shop. But one information source remains strongly rooted in the past — the printed…
Walmart delivery plan to undercut Amazon Prime
If you can’t beat ’em, lower the price. It’s the Walmart way and the retailer undoubtedly has Amazon and its Prime $99 annual program in mind with its new test…
Has Starbucks’ mobile app been hacked?
According to reports, hackers are finding a way to gain access to people’s Starbucks mobile accounts and triggering the auto-reload function, thereby giving them access to the users’ debit and…
Which merchandising technologies hold the most value?
Retailers say that they are hyper-aware that many of the legacy technologies they’ve been using for years are in dire need of a refresh. However, it’s very interesting to see…
For Publix, success comes down to its owners
There have been numerous studies showing that Publix is among the places Americans most like to shop for groceries. And the reason for Publix’s success can be traced to one…
Will Walgreens win customers with Red Nose Day?
Red Nose Day, a charity promotion launched in the U.K. in 1988, will for this first time this year also be happening in the U.S. as the result of a…
Family succession challenges independents
A recent piece in The New York Times detailed the many challenges owners of health food stores spawned in 1970s and 1980s are facing with succession as they reach typical…
Would an Ahold/Delhaize merger create a stronger grocery company?
Rumors of a merger between Ahold and Delhaize have floated around for years, but if reports out of Belgium are true, the two supermarket chain operators are sitting down to…
When are slotting fees warranted?
When slotting fees became commonplace in the 1980s, one trade magazine wrote outraged editorials against them in every issue, vowing to continue until slotting went away. Slotting fees haven’t gone…
Walmart is ‘satisfied’ with in-store clinics’ progress
Since its early days, Walmart has been a major transformative force in U.S. retailing. Imagine what it would mean if the company was able to replicate its retail success in…
Jeff Bezos’s shareholder letter explains a lot
Many have great respect for Amazon and its leader Jeff Bezos and continue to be amazed at the company’s accomplishments. Here are five notable quotes from Mr. Bezos’s most recent…
Is digital grocery shopping ready for takeoff?
Grocery shoppers are ready for a more involved digital experience than many supermarkets are promoting or prepared to deliver, according to a global survey by Nielsen. Is the grocery category…
How will California’s drought affect retailing?
With a historic drought now in its fourth year, California residents and businesses are facing mandatory water cutbacks. The impact on retail appears uncertain. How big a deal is the…
Amazon can be stopped
A recent survey-driven study published in the Journal of Consumer Marketing concluded that Millennials are “less likely to purchase online compared to their older counterparts.” Do you see a major…
Will Ron Johnson ‘Enjoy’ his comeback?
At one point Ron Johnson was thought to be a retail virtuoso, in part because of his use of the Genius Bar at the Apple Store. Later he became the…
The subscription economy gets an online marketplace
The subscription model, once reserved solely for magazines sales and premium TV channels, has exploded in popularity. And as subscriptions have become a familiar fixture of e-commerce, a startup called…
Whole Foods announces plans for new value-price concept
Whole Foods is starting a whole new business. Yesterday, co-CEOs John Mackey and Walter Robb announced the company would launch a new business next year under a separate banner that…
Are retailers organized for analytics?
Most business leaders now acknowledge the value of Big Data analytics. The majority of content at the Retail and Consumer Goods Analytics Summit in Chicago last week was about the…
Net-a-Porter launches ‘first luxury shoppable mobile social network’
The luxury fashion e-tailer, Net-a-Porter, has launched a social network app which allows users to flaunt their style and engage with others of a like mind as well as the…
