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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Why do retail stores still have cash registers?
Armed with smartphones, consumers have literally become the new point of sale. Yet, retailers are still trying to herd them through checkout lanes. Should cash registers and POS terminals be…
Starbucks to workers: College is on us
Starbucks has announced it will make full tuition reimbursement available to more than 140,000 employees in the U.S. as part of the expanded Starbucks College Achievement Plan. Will the Starbucks…
Mayor wants chain stores to keep out
Steven Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City, NJ, is a big fan of local businesses but not large chain stores. Now, he’s throwing his support behind a measure that would…
Retail’s personalization efforts are subpar
Consumers aren’t too happy with the “personalized” offers and communications they’re getting from retailers. A recent survey found only 22 percent of consumers believed the average retailer understands them as…
Going beyond birthday rewards
For most loyalty programs, birthday rewards have become as common as free pretzels on a plane. And several inventive brands are reimagining the concept of the birthday reward to their…
Was Service Merchandise ahead of its time?
“It’s here, or will be soon — the store of the future,” begins a new article from WayfinD, WD Partners’ quarterly e-magazine. The article was talking about the defunct Service…
Could Amazon’s brick-and-mortar invention eliminate checkout lines?
The notion that brick-and-mortar stores are facing total extinction in the face of e-commerce is clearly a gross exaggeration, especially in light of the prominent tech companies and e-tailers making…
RadioShack lives!
RadioShack has made it through bankruptcy and is set to fight another day. The chain will begin the next chapter in its history as a much smaller company, stocking fewer…
Can social loyalty be taken too far?
Some of the digital communications habits we’ve adopted aren’t always “better,” and some habits we’ve picked up in customer loyalty marketing are also showing lots of adoption but not necessarily…
Walmart returns to ‘playing offense with price’
Walmart has a message for its vendors: keep those trade funds and put them toward the cost of goods. Walmart wants even lower prices so it can use the savings…
Retailers discuss h-app-y mobile surprises
During FD Mobile (#therealFD), executives from Rent The Runway and Alex & Ani shared the role mobile is playing in their business and how they are differentiating their experiences with…
McDonald’s to give its workers a raise
Roughly 90,000 people working in restaurants operated by McDonald’s will be a little better off starting in July as the fast food chain has announced it will pay employees $1…
Walmart CEO opposes Arkansas religious freedom bill
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon has joined other business leaders in Arkansas and the state Chamber of Commerce in opposing HB 1228, a bill known as the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”…
Walking a mile in the digital shopper’s shoes
The hard part with digital is that there are a lot of guessing games around how consumers shop. With mobile in particular, there are a lot questions around what consumers…
Is Amazon’s Dash the future of shopping?
As a USA Today article points out, this is not an April Fool’s joke. Amazon has created a way for consumers to order the products they need with a simple…
Study: Omnichannel customer experience far from seamless
New research from Accenture finds retailers must significantly enhance their mobile and in-store shopping experiences to match the way shoppers want to deal with retailers across multiple sales channels. In…
McD’s says ‘have it your way’ – eat McMuffins all day long
For those of you who have yearned for a McGriddle sandwich only to realize that it’s 10:35 a.m. and too late, there may be reason for hope. McDonald’s is testing…
Amazon guarantees service for household projects
Do you have a project you need done around the house? You could ask friends, find a supplier through your local Home Depot or Lowe’s or join a referral service…
RFID use reaching a ‘tipping point’
RFID is gaining traction with retailers and manufacturers, nearing an adoption and usage “tipping point,” according to a recent study from GS1 US. Do you agree RFID is at a…
Facebook turns Messenger into a customer service tool
Facebook last week formed partnerships with two retailers — online apparel site Everlane and flash sale site Zulily — to let them use its Messenger Platform as a customer service…
Walgreens stops wishing shoppers ‘be well’
Walgreens has officially dropped the requirement that its workers wish shoppers to “be well” after they check out. The change also applies to Duane Reade stores. Are mandated scripts a…
