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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Study: Amazon goes all predatory on marketplace sellers
According to new research from Upstream Commerce, Amazon tracks third-party sales on its site and uses that data to sell the most popular items in direct competition with marketplace members…
Are retailers ready to deal with ‘Gargantuan Data’?
EBay’s modeling predicts the amount of data available from online commerce transactions will double every year in the near term, a prediction has prompted eBay to discard the term “Big…
Beyoncé and Topshop to duet on new fashion line
In the world of celebrity endorsements, it’s hard to imagine a bigger name today than Beyoncé Knowles. The pop star and the British chain, Topshop, recently announced a 50/50 joint…
Are retailers making a mistake not accepting Apple Pay?
It’s not difficult to understand why retailers that are part of MCX would want to give preferential treatment to the mobile payment system (CurrentC) they are in the process of…
Facial recognition tech goes beyond just selling stuff
A potential application of facial recognition technology was recently demonstrated in a Barcelona comedy club, where patrons were basically charged per laugh. Will reading shopper moods ever be feasible for…
Overstock goes back to its roots with huge liquidation buy
The dot-com bust was good for Overstock.com’s business in the early days. Now, the company is looking to turn the misfortune of other e-tailers into a brighter future for itself…
Will retailers give away the store this Christmas?
Retailers are acting a little too much like Santa Claus when it comes to Christmas promotions, according to researchers from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. Are retailers overusing promotions, particularly…
Mounting breaches increase consumer apprehension
According to a survey by CreditCards.com, 45 percent of consumers would definitely or probably avoid one of their regular stores over the holidays if that retailer had experienced a data…
Study: Online pricing is secretly discriminatory
A study from Northeastern University found discriminatory pricing on e-commerce sites to be more widespread than thought, with the most concern being the lack of transparency. Do you expect an…
Retailers are omni-channel laggards
According to SPS Commerce’s third annual Retail Insight industry benchmark report, only five percent of retailers believe they are “advanced” when it comes to omni-channel capabilities, and between 35 and…
Should publishers open stores to compete with Amazon?
Now that Amazon.com has come to an agreement with Simon & Schuster to sell the publishing house’s print and e-book titles, it’s tempting to think that all the other major…
Will TV audiences value what Whole Foods is selling?
Whole Foods has never run a national ad campaign before. Now that it has, will it make any difference to the natural and organic grocery chain’s business? Will any of…
How to draw a Big Data implementation roadmap
“Big Data implies that data sets are so large and complex they become awkward to work with using standard tools and techniques.” Buried within this simple definition lies many problems…
Will totally free shipping make a difference for Target’s holiday results?
New Target CEO Brian Cornell is looking to establish a difference in the minds of consumers between his company and all the other competitors in the marketplace. That will include…
Someone’s not telling the truth about Walgreens’ missed forecast
Back in August when it was announced that Wade Miquelon was leaving Walgreens to pursue opportunities outside the company, the chain and its former CFO were effusive in their praise…
Are customized burgers and mobile apps the future of McDonald’s?
For some McDonald’s customers in Australia, the menu just got both bigger and more technologically sophisticated. A video on YouTube shows a customer ordering a customized McDonald’s burger. Will a…
Toys ‘R’ Us pulls ‘Breaking Bad’ action figures from stores
A Florida mom started a petition on Change.org to get Toys “R” Us to remove a line of action figures from the highly popular AMC series “Breaking Bad.” Toys…
Do online chats beat call centers for customer service?
According to a survey from Moxie Software, a developer of live chat solutions, 72 percent of smartphone users would prefer to use live online chat versus calling to speak with…
CVS Health’s strategy could make other pharmacies sick
According to reports, CVS Health’s Caremark pharmacy benefits manager division plans to charge up to an additional $15 in co-pays to consumers who purchase their prescription medicines at pharmacies that…
Will Millennials reward retailers for one-on-one attention?
According to a survey from LoyaltyOne, 84 percent of Millennials said that being able to redeem rewards/loyalty program points for a session or consultation with a chef or nutritionist would…
Will Primark conquer America through Sears?
When the fast-fashion chain Primark announced earlier this year it would open its first store in the former location of Filene’s in Boston in time for Christmas 2015, it also…
