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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Walmart makes ‘The Checkout Promise’
Heralding it as “The Checkout Promise,” Walmart has pledged to keep every register open during peak shopping hours during the upcoming holiday selling period. How much of a benefit will…
Are gifters being overlooked by retailers?
Starbucks presents a prime example of the convergence going on between gift cards, loyalty programs, and mobile wallets. But the popularity of e-gift cards continues to show how important “gifting’…
A jar takes some consumers back to the future
With new high tech options for consumers launching seemingly every day, it seems counterintuitive that an old time product, Mason jars, would make a dramatic comeback. Yet, according to a…
‘Free’ supermarket built for sampling
In Copenhagen, a new grocer, dubbed Freemarket, offers products for basically the price of a review. Why haven’t sampling stores arrived in the U.S.? Does “tryvertising” in general work better…
Winning the natural and organic shopper
The days of finding one-off natural food co-ops and off-the-grid country markets for grass-fed beef or almond milk hand cream are over. Today it’s as close as the nearest convenience…
Target testing late-night shopping
Apparently hoping a few more hours a day may be an easy step to boosting top-line growth, Target is reportedly testing the extension of hours at more than half of…
Dollar General makes rival bid for Family Dollar
Dollar General has offered about $9.7 billion to buy Family Dollar, creating a bidding war by trumping an earlier offer made by Dollar Tree. Would Dollar General make a better…
Starbucks moderates ‘clopening’ practices
Starbucks workers usually seem pretty happy with their jobs, but when it comes to managing worker hours, Starbucks comes under much of the same scrutiny as other “great places to…
With a click, recipe ingredients delivered to the doorstep
In what it claims is an American first, Foodily, a social network and recipe search engine for foodies, has found a way to send recipe ingredients directly to a shopping…
Is the J.C. Penney turnaround for real?
The J.C. Penney rebound continues. The department store chain posted a same-store sales increase of six percent in the second quarter. The company that many had left for dead following…
Supervalu latest to suffer hack attack
Target isn’t the only retail store operator in Minnesota with data security issues. Eden Prairie-based Supervalu announced it too suffered a “criminal intrusion” into its computer network somewhere between June…
Target’s math doesn’t add up for this ‘guest’
Consumer confidence in a retailer can be a fragile thing. Once loyal customers may find themselves looking for alternative shopping destinations after being disappointed with a given merchant over time…
Is ugly the new black?
Ugly produce generally gets rejected for no other reason than being aesthetically challenged. But the big success of a campaign recently launched by a French supermarket chain could be a…
Amazon Local Register to challenge Square and PayPal
Amazon.com may not operate brick & mortar stores, but the e-tailing giant is looking to establish a presence at retail with a new credit and debit card reader and app…
Walmart’s Scan & Go is a no-go
Walmart, which is not known for moving people quickly through the front-end of its stores, tested a mobile app that would allow people to scan items as they shopped and,…
Is there a role for retailers in a brand fight?
There is a nasty David and Goliath type fight going on in the pet food category, which brings up the question of whether retailers should take sides when brands squabble…
Will flattery get retailers anywhere in the changing room?
Undiscriminating flattery may suit some. Not all. Whereas many retailers are introducing technology to women’s changing rooms so customers can instantly get reactions from trusted friends, British plus-size clothing retailer…
Nordstrom’s first give-back brand combines fashion and philanthropy
Nordstrom is serious about driving its sales. It’s also serious about giving back. Earlier this week, the upscale retailer announced the launch of its Treasure&Bond private label brand. Five percent…
Should chronic returners be banned?
Excessive returners are being banned by some retailers from returns for 90 days to a year. In some cases, a few online retailers are banning these problem customers from shopping…
Will Walgreens be redefined by its sushi?
Being car-less on the outskirts of Logan Square, Chicago, RetailWire Associate Editor Matthew Stern shops at Walgreens a lot. Recently he found two new grocery coolers with various unexpected items…
World’s richest man calls for shorter workweek
Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world, thinks we need to rethink work. Mr. Slim is suggesting that the workweek should be no more than three days and that…
