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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
TJX puts through a pay raise. Is Target next?
TJX Companies is following in the footsteps of Gap Inc. and Walmart by giving its hourly workers a raise. The company announced plans yesterday to increase its starting wage to…
Planogramming for sales and profits
Not having good planogram compliance can cost you lost sales and gross profit. Here’s a little advice based on what Johnny Harris has experienced over the years. What common mistakes…
Nordstrom puts its money where its e-commerce is
Nordstrom already generates roughly $2.5 billion in annual sales through its namesake website along with others it operates, but the company sees more opportunities ahead for its digital efforts and…
Walmart has its pricing mojo working
Walmart is crushing much of the competition when it comes to pricing. That’s the conclusion of research conducted by Credit Suisse, which found the difference between Walmart’s pricing and that…
Is labor scheduling too erratic?
While the retail industry has historically gotten a bad rap for low wages, attention has turned as well to the issue of unpredictable worker schedules. Last week, legislation was introduced…
Macy’s CFO thinks off-price concept will attract new customers
A major concern when any retailer launches an off-price concept is to avoid creating a new competitor that pulls sales away from its core business. Since Macy’s revealed its off-price…
Target free shipping deal undercuts Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart
Target.com, as of yesterday, is lowering its minimum order to $25, no exclusions, for its online customers (AKA “guests” in Target-speak) to get their orders with no shipping fee added…
Mobile payments may overtake cards in five years
At least in the U.K., a third of consumers expect smartphone payments to outpace credit and debit cards by 2020, according to a survey from Experian. Do you see 2015…
Terrorists call for attack on shopping centers
A Somalia-based terrorist group is urging its sympathizers to carry out attacks on shopping centers in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The Mall of America and the West Edmonton Mall…
Target and Whole Foods testing loyalty programs
Target is joining Whole Foods Market in testing a points-based loyalty program. The REDperks mobile loyalty program rewards shoppers when purchases reach certain levels. Do points-based programs make sense for…
How managers should resolve conflicts with associates
When rules are broken in situations that don’t call for immediate termination, gain your composure and think, “Open The Front Door Now,” a simple formula that helps you address and…
Starbucks to stop selling CDs
Starbucks will stop selling CDs in its stores by the end of March. However, reports suggest the coffee chain is exploring other avenues to tap into its music heritage, likely…
Walmart to give 500,000 workers a raise
Yesterday, Walmart announced it will raise the pay for roughly 500,000 of its hourly employees along with implementing new training and scheduling programs to attract and retain the best available…
Consumers are not happy shopping in stores, especially Walmart’s
Customer satisfaction with brick and mortar retail is down for the first time in four years, according to a report by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, and that could be…
Can Walmart win small?
The small-format Neighborhood Market has recently been Walmart’s star performer, showing a 5.5 percent comp jump in the recent third quarter, and is set for expansion. In what ways does…
The Internet of Things from a consumer perspective
To take advantage of new data sources from sensors and machines emerging from the Internet of Things, it helps to consider what it all means to the now commonplace mobilized…
Domino’s breaks new ground selling user-designed pizzas
The role user-generated content has played thus far in the restaurant world has tended to be in the form of restaurant reviews on sites like Yelp. But Domino’s in Australia…
Ace becomes the helpful hardware delivery place
Ace Hardware is known for its “helpful” approach to customer service, and the retail cooperative is taking the next step on that path with a same-day delivery pilot program at…
Why aren’t more associates using mobile devices to help shoppers?
If today’s typically young store associates are so adept at using their smartphones, why won’t retailers let them use a store smartphone on the floor to assist consumers? Here are…
Amazon Prime members* get free deliveries in two hours
If you’re an Amazon Prime member and you live anywhere on the island of Manhattan*, you’ve gotten an upgrade. Now, eligible items will be delivered to the doorsteps (or stoops)…
Apple to remodel retail stores
When Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, Jonathan Ive, became the “creative soul of the company.” According to a New Yorker article, Mr. Ive is working with Angela Ahrendts, the…
