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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Gap to make change at the top
Gap Inc. announced yesterday that CEO Glenn Murphy, widely credited for righting the apparel retailer’s teetering ship, will step down. Art Peck, the current president of Gap’s growth, innovation and…
When waiters attack!
Apparently, it’s tough to turn the other cheek or even to simply ignore an abusive customer — at least when it comes to waitstaff. While much research has explored what…
Will Groupon succeed with a cash back app?
Groupon, which continues to struggle with its core business model in the wake of deal fatigue and growing skepticism by business owners about deep discounting, has adopted an in-store grocery…
If sampling works, why don’t more retailers do it?
Shoppers often subconsciously feel a duty to make a purchase of an item after sampling, according to studies, to the point that it often leads to extra buys across the…
Retailers dreaming of a green Christmas
Retailers may have something to be cheery about this holiday season. According to a forecast by NRF, sales for the last two months of the year are expected to climb…
Target gets app happy
By the end of next year, roughly three-quarters of Target.com’s traffic will come from tablets and smartphones. The company wants consumers to know it’s all over this mobile thing with…
Is grocery shopping becoming more enjoyable?
According to new research, 54 percent of total U.S. shoppers say they enjoy grocery shopping, up from 41 percent in 2011. The study concluded that the enhanced enjoyment is being…
Amazon workers take case to the Supreme Court
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case in which Amazon workers claim they should be paid to wait for security screenings after they finish their shifts. So…
Walmart says no to matching Publix BOGO deals
Walmart has announced it will no longer match Publix’s buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free offers in its Florida stores and instead will direct customers to use its Savings Catcher program. Will the…
Pepsi launches brand exclusively on Amazon
PepsiCo Inc. announced last week an unusual move to launch Pepsi True, the fifth brand to carry the company’s name, exclusively on Amazon.com. The launch, set for mid-October, comes amid…
Can price-matching take price off the table?
Morrisons, one of the UK’s “big four” grocers involved in an all out price war, has announced it will match not only traditional competitors on price, but also the prices…
CPG slow to adopt digital coupons
Digital marketing is making an impact in grocery shopping as consumers look for coupons before and during their trip to the store. But most food brands haven’t reacted to this…
Will selling Sears Canada stock save Sears Holdings?
Unable to find a buyer for its 51 percent of Sears Canada in an auction, Sears Holdings announced plans to raise roughly $380 million through the sale of all but…
Are foodies transforming grocery messaging?
With the pervasiveness of foodie culture, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is shifting its messaging to storytelling that celebrates, engages and sparks conversations around food. That approach will drive the modernization of…
Retailers look to outsmart Mother Nature
While some retailers conveniently use weather as an excuse to explain away poor quarterly results, others employ internal and external services to stay ahead of changing weather conditions and use…
Can extra delivery temps save e-Christmas?
In efforts to avoid repeating the problems that plagued the 2013 holidays, both UPS and FedEx last week revealed plans to ramp up their hiring of seasonal employees to manage…
The Swiss army knife gets its own store in Switzerland
Based on estimates, more than 40 percent of consumer brands now sell directly to consumers in one form or another. One example is Victorinox AG, the largest maker of Swiss…
Former CEO not letting go of American Apparel
Even after being dismissed by the board of directors for allegedly violating the company’s sexual harassment policy and misusing corporate funds, American Apparel founder and former CEO Dov Charney continues…
PayPal and eBay to go their separate ways
Yesterday brought news that PayPal and eBay will become standalone entities sometime in 2015. As independent companies, the two will enjoy added flexibility to pursue new market and partnership opportunities,…
Walmart tests drive-through grocery concept
Earlier this week, Walmart debuted its Walmart Pickup – Grocery service to registered customers in its hometown of Bentonville, AR. Walmart’s effort follows the test of another drive-through format,…
It’s time to get serious about supply chain collaboration (again)
When supply chains only went in one direction — from supplier to store — existing definitions of supply chain visibility could make sense. But when every point in the supply…
