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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Are big boxes better career builders than small stores?
It’s never been easy figuring out whether big box and chain retailers have been good or bad for the economy as a whole. On the one hand, they offer consumers…
Are anonymous reviews good or bad?
Consumers appear to like the option of being able to leave anonymous reviews. Many stores and restaurants also appear okay with the practice. The problem is that some businesses hate…
Should sound be part of the e-commerce experience?
Researchers at Goldsmiths University, London, have produced research that enabled eBay U.K. to celebrate its fifteenth anniversary with a “piece of music that uses sounds scientifically proven to help people…
What does Amazon have to do with gamers?
Amazon earlier this week agreed to pay $970 million in cash to acquire Twitch, a website that lets users watch and broadcast video game play. How do you see Amazon…
Lucky Magazine and BeachMint: The collision of content and commerce
It’s one thing to hire away a few writers; it’s another thing entirely to merge together a magazine with a retail site. Do retailers and brands need to do more…
Creating a research transformation agenda for 2015
The two most powerful concepts in marketing research — trends and norms — are also the biggest enemies to innovation. And research programs are falling more and more out of…
Are nutritional rating systems a market basket killer?
A new study by Cornell University Study found that nutrition rating guides in stores led to a sharp decline in sales of “junk food” but only a more marginal gain…
BK says Tim Hortons’ deal isn’t a tax dodge
Much of the reporting around Burger King’s deal to acquire Tim Hortons has been about plans for the combined company to establish its headquarters in Canada in order to take…
Can we handle ‘truth’ in advertising?
Think of the things you’ve seen in ads. Invariably, in the real world, the Big Mac is smaller, the Lite beer makes you heavier and the Slim Fast is too…
Grocer plans to chicken dance its way to the bank
At some of Lowes Foods’ remodeled locations, each chicken that comes out of the rotisserie oven is celebrated by staff doing the Chicken Dance. Is having supermarket staff do the…
Is the Duane Reade name on the way out?
Duane Reade does not mean Walgreens to New Yorkers. That’s the reason Walgreens chose to leave the Duane Reade banner on top of the 257 drugstores it acquired from Oak…
Don’t try paying with a check at Whole Foods
It may sometimes seem as though it takes your whole paycheck to shop at Whole Foods, but don’t plan to pay for your organic groceries with a personal check because…
Is Amazon a threat to Google’s ad dollars?
Looking to leverage the massive amount of data around its numerous site users, Amazon is reportedly developing its own software for placing ads online. What hurdles does Amazon face against…
Less is more on restaurant menus
The “tyranny of choice” hypothesis in retail — offering too many product choices, thus confusing consumers and lowering sales — is widely accepted if infrequently addressed in stores. However, it…
Does Family Dollar/Dollar General make a monopoly?
Family Dollar surprised many by rejecting Dollar General’s merger offer based on the premise that the combination holds too much anti-trust risk. How would you assess the antitrust concerns of…
Barrier busters: How to successfully engage more customers
Unless a shopper has already visited your store, a barrier often exists between you and your customer. That’s why it’s essential to take certain actions that bust those barriers and…
Uber opens Corner Store in nation’s capital
Uber, the company known for its ridesharing app, is dipping its toes into the grocery delivery waters with a new service called Corner Store that will allow consumers in Washington,…
Will lederhosen become the next big thing in fashion?
Lederhosen are not just for Oktoberfest anymore. At least that’s what Wiesnkoenig, the official supplier of the traditional German pants for the Munich Oktoberfest, is hoping Americans will come to…
Study: Amazon shifts to preferential treatment for brands
According to a new study, Amazon.com has set up a pay-to-play system for certain brands seeking more exclusivity and better positioning on the site. Does it make strategic business sense…
Employers track workforce fitness with wearable tech
Employers are trying to hold down health insurance costs and a growing number are offering rewards and/or penalties based on workers getting annual physicals or joining smoking cessation programs. Some…
McD’s makes move on the center store
McDonald’s has gone to great lengths in recent years to raise the profile of its coffee with consumers in the battle for the breakfast day-part and beyond. Now the fast…
