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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Can Walmart stop its downward spiral in grocery?
Walmart’s well-established problems with inventory management took on a new dimension last week thanks to a leaked memo, which indicated that the grocer is struggling to implement processes to boost…
The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge: Big Lots vs. Kmart
In week one of the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge, Target’s “Alice in Marshmallow Land” outdid Walmart’s “Gift List.” Week two saw RadioShack’s “Toyland” top Best Buy’s “Our Best” spot. This…
How do consumers want to hear from brands?
Some brand communication practices resonate well with consumers, but other proactive outreach methods are disliked by many, according to results from an SAP SE poll conducted by Ipsos. What lessons…
Is free social marketing over – at least on Facebook?
Many have aggressively invested money and time building up the number of “likes” on their Facebook pages. But last week in a blog post, Facebook said beginning next year, the…
Mobile payments: What it will take
Netting out the current state of mobile payments, it seems like “Beta vs. VHS” all over again, and there is no assurance that the best solution will win — or…
Macy’s enters same-day delivery fray
Do you need same-day delivery for a sweater or a pair of stilettos? Macy’s and J.C. Penney believe so: one is testing the service now and the other is rolling…
Amazon raises prices on Cyber Monday
The popular perception is that retailers bring out the big deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but that has not been the case in recent years, according to research…
Ugg unveils omni-channel store
As part of its aggressive push into omni-channel retailing, Ugg Australia, the fashionable sheepskin boot brand, just opened its first-ever technology-driven concept store, located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area…
Tesco lights it up for Christmas
Tesco has had its fair share of troubles recently, and it’s hard to feel sympathy for the people who put the company in the unenviable position it’s in. That said,…
Will retailers regret later deadlines for Christmas deliveries?
Last year’s debacle in which packages failed to reach their destinations in time for Christmas was a wake up call for many retailers and shipping companies. This year, all the…
Jump-starting private label
Private label shares have been fairly flat since 2012. Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer asked industry experts what’s going on, and how retailers might jump-start growth. Which suggestions in the article…
Pizza Hut puts radical change on the menu
It might have been safer to go with a small tweak here and there, but Pizza Hut is really looking to shake things up and so the world’s largest pizza…
Walmart turns Black Friday into a five-day event
According to a Walmart press release, the company is looking to take Black Friday to another level. Its solution is “New Black Friday,” a five-day sales event, which starts on…
Is Singles Day ready to go global?
What sales event drives more sales than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined? That would be China’s Singles Day, launched in 2009 by Alibaba, and rolling out to the rest…
Digital channels influence half of brick-and-mortar sales
Digital channels influenced up to 50 percent of all in-store retail sales in September 2014, up from 36 percent in September 2013, according to a study commission by L2. What…
The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge: Best Buy vs. RadioShack
Target’s “Alice in Marshmallow Land” topped Walmart’s “Gift List” to take week one of the 2014 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. This week Best Buy faces off with RadioShack. Which is…
This time, are organics really going mainstream?
After slowing down during the recession, the organics business is booming again. With Walmart, Kroger and others expanding organic assortments, and McDonald’s entering the fray, the category appears set to…
Will lower gas prices pump up holiday sales?
You may have noticed that some people are almost giddy over the cost to gas up their cars as the prices Americans have been paying at the pump have been…
What does Amazon Echo have to do with shopping?
On Nov. 7, Amazon surprised the tech community by introducing Echo, a voice-activated, personal digital assistant. While compared to Apple’s Siri, Google Now and Microsoft’s Cortana in many reviews, Echo…
Will family values resonate this Thanksgiving?
Last week, a heap of retailers joined Macy’s and Kohl’s in announcing earlier Thanksgiving openings. At the same time, family value statements continued to roll out from others that have…
Dr Pepper Snapple Group looks to automate category management
For the past six years, Dr Pepper Snapple Group has relied on a seven-stage category management process for space and assortments in stores. Now the beverage company wants to speed…
