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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Online continues to replace in-store browsing
Whether through a laptop at work or a smartphone before bed or in-store, online searches continue to replace much of the shopper discovery process that comes from in-store browsing. What…
Starbucks’ mobile app lets customers order and pay ahead
Starbucks will introduce for the first time “Mobile Order and Pay” nationwide in 2015. The service, to be tested within the Portland area before the end of the year, enables…
Instagram Grows As Teens’ Social Network of Choice
Teens continue to gravitate toward Instagram and away from Facebook, finds Piper Jaffray in its latest semi-annual survey of American teens. What’s behind the allure of Instagram for teens versus…
Whole Foods debuts good, better, best rating system for produce
Whole Foods has introduced a new rating system on Wednesday known as “Responsibly Grown,” which labels the produce and flowers it sells as good, better or best based on its…
Target looks for a home run with new Fenway store
There isn’t going to be any World Series celebration this year around historic Fenway Park, but Bostonians do have something to look forward to next year other than spring training…
When surveys behave badly … and what to do about it
Bad survey results are toxic. “Fixing” a survey starts with good survey design principles, but it doesn’t end there. In the digital age, we need to “think beyond the survey”…
Walmart sets sights on Amazon
With foot traffic and sales at its U.S. stores continuing to disappoint, Walmart continues to look for answers to build its business anywhere it can. One response has been to…
Freezing employees’ eggs becomes new benefit to attract/keep talent
Employers have used all different types of perks to attract and retain top talent. A new benefit currently offered by Facebook and soon to be offered by Apple, however, is…
‘Flat’ is the new ‘up’ in food
“Flat is the new up,” Todd Hale says when asked about the state of the food industry. The half-in-jest comment is easy to understand if you’ve been following retail’s disappointing…
Will store pick-up alter the course of home delivery?
Designed to cut down on delivery stops, United Parcel Service announced last week it is launching a service that allows customers to pick up their packages at dry cleaners, convenience…
Sears faces outrage over sale of swastika ring
Note to all retailers: learn about the rise of the Nazis in Germany and never, ever, attempt to sell anything in stores or online that reminds people of the atrocities…
Chains mix and match flagships and outlets
It was big news back in 2012 when Nordstrom opened one of its Rack stores “a crosswalk away” from its flagship in downtown Seattle. Today, others including Neiman Marcus and…
Penney CEO search is finally (almost) over
J.C. Penney’s board of directors has been dealing with criticism over the slow pace of its search to find a replacement for interim CEO Mike Ullman but as of yesterday,…
Nordstrom raises the customer service bar in Canada
Based on Target’s experience, it might be tempting to believe that American retailers just don’t speak the same language(s) as Canadian consumers. But Nordstrom is proving American stores that Canadians…
Americans are unhappy with loyalty program rewards
More than half of American loyalty program members are unhappy with the reward options offered by their favorite brands and 48 percent have experienced frustration during the reward redemption process,…
Are earlier Thanksgiving openings inevitable?
Joining what’s expected to be a stream of retailers making Thanksgiving a bigger holiday shopping start, Macy’s reportedly alerted associates that stores would be opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving…
Consumers have love/hate relationship with e-mail marketing
E-mail marketing continues to regularly rank as one of the most effective digital marketing tactics, but 42 percent of U.S. online adults delete most e-mail advertising without reading it, according…
Authors seek antitrust investigation on Amazon
In the latest fallout from the ongoing publishing dispute between Hachette Book Group and Amazon, a group of authors has urged the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an antitrust…
Amazon to open pickup shop in Manhattan
Rumors about Amazon.com opening stores may now become reality as the e-commerce giant is expected to open its first physical location on one of the busiest streets in the U.S…
Uniqlo ‘Selfless Selfie Project’ inspires holiday giving
Playing against the selfishness often noted around the “selfie” smartphone photo, Uniqlo has launched the Uniqlo Selfless Selfie Project, an interactive global campaign created to inspire good deeds during the…
New NRF chair supports raising the minimum wage
Kip Tindell, CEO of Container Store Group, who will be named as chairman of the NRF next month, is an advocate of conscious capitalism and is hoping that some of…
