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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Holiday hiring may go back to the dot-com boom days
Retailers are planning to hire more than 800,000 seasonal workers for the quickly approaching holiday selling season, perhaps reaching the nearly 850,000 hired in 1999, according to Challenger, Gray &…
She’s got (video) game
More women in the U.K. are playing video games than men and, pretty soon, it appears, the same will be true in the U.S. That is the conclusion of studies…
Did Joan Rivers give home shopping some respect?
Home shopping TV continues to be one of retail’s quiet giants, and many obits on Joan Rivers gave her credit for being one of the trailblazers of the shopping medium…
Amazon debuts new tablets, no matter what Tim Cook thinks
Apple CEO Tim Cook doesn’t think of Amazon.com as a consumer product company, as he said in a recent interview. But yesterday, Amazon announced the launch of new Fire tablets,…
Will McD’s first customer officer connect with Millennials?
McDonald’s has been on a sales skid and many watchers of the golden arches point to a failure by the chain to connect with Millennials as a major factor in…
Kohl’s turns to YouTube to launch junior’s line
Asserting that TV is no longer effectively reaching teenage girls, Kohl’s is using a YouTube mini-series featuring top teen influencers to launch its new limited-edition juniors line. Is digital content…
Does Apple Pay need Walmart and Best Buy?
Following the excitement over the introduction of Apple Pay, the conspicuous absence of Walmart and Best Buy in its launch led to several second-day stories exploring the challenges the new…
Will a rewards program help or hurt Whole Foods?
As a Bloomberg News report points out, Whole Foods Market has never used a loyalty program since its founding on Sept. 20, 1980. News that the natural grocery chain is…
Amazon and Coca-Cola partner on niche nostalgia e-commerce
Years of fervent online chatter over Surge, a soda discontinued 12 years ago, led Coca-Cola to announce earlier this week that the beverage is returning to production and that it…
Can Jos. A. Bank wean its customers off BOGO sales?
Jos. A. Bank, recently acquired by Men’s Wearhouse, is in the process of sharply reducing the number of BOGO sales and other extreme discounting measures that have lifted sales over…
Macy’s touts its omni-channel progress
Macy’s, Inc. wants all its stakeholders to know that it’s not resting on its digital laurels. Yesterday the company outlined a wide variety of initiatives management believes will set it…
How will single America shape the future of retailing?
For the first time since the government began counting how many Americans were single and married, the number of people sans-spouses topped those with them. How is the rising percentage…
Only $5 differential to shopping Amazon versus in-store
According to a new survey, 63 percent of consumers would buy from Amazon if a $50 item in stores were $45 on Amazon – a $5.00 difference. At the same…
In-N-Out keeps popping up far from home
Since December 2011, In-N-Out Burger, the iconic California chain, has been opening brief pop-ups around the world with no plans to expand far from its California and Southwest base. What…
When co-development makes sense for a technology vendor
Back in February, we featured a piece outlining why co-development can make sense for a retailer. It discussed the value for the retailer, and quickly glossed over why it might…
Starbucks reconsiders tat ban
Starbucks is looking for ways to improve working conditions for its baristas without breaking the bank in the process. Among the ideas being considered, which seems to have caught the…
Amazon drops price as smartphone fails to set the world on fire
Amazon.com was looking for big things when it began selling its Fire Phone on July 25th. Speculation is the smartphone has not lived up to those expectations as Amazon cut…
Got local?
When visiting stores, One may see a lot of local products that should have a “Buy Local” sign or shelf talker, but don’t. If stores are going to buy local…
Will Apple Watch bring wearable tech into the mainstream?
Perhaps the biggest surprise with the debut of the new Apple Watch on Tuesday was that its brand name didn’t start with the letter “i.” Reviewers and critics aside, it…
Target looks to get its groove back
Will Brian Cornell be able to return Target to its Tar Jay days? When Target’s new CEO was named to the post in July, many questioned whether he would be…
Do experiential products match life’s experiences?
Past studies have found that people get more enjoyment and satisfaction from the purchase of experiential adventures or events than from material purchases. But a new study finds a host…
