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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Reversing the ‘retail funk’ with in-store engagement
For much of the last year or so, traditional brick & mortar retailers have been mired in a slump. To change their fortunes, retailers are being encouraged to embrace omni-channel…
Walmart offers lesson on driving back-to-school sales
Two factors will make 2014 one of the most competitive back-to-school seasons ever for retailers: the average American household shopping for BTS will spend five percent more this year on…
Grocery Shoppers Desire Better Shopping Experiences
Big box and dollar store retailers are boosting sales by offering fresh, frozen and packaged foods. While this may seem like a threat to grocers, the vast majority of consumers…
Will consumers ‘Buy’ on Facebook?
Facebook is testing a “Buy” button that would allow users to make on-site purchases. Users on desktop or mobile will be able to click the Buy call-to-action button on ads…
What will the future hold for c-stores?
Marking its silver anniversary, Convenience Store Decisions recently celebrated the major transformation the c-store industry has undergone in all facets of operation over the past twenty five years. And retail…
Should a store-provided mobile device be an option?
A surprising finding from CFI Group’s Retail Satisfaction Barometer 2014 was that 41 percent of respondents said, given the choice, they would prefer a retailer provided them with a mobile…
Will Siri and Watson bring out the best in each other?
Though Apple has faced a long, uphill battle to gain traction when it comes to enterprise computing, that may be about to change with the announcement of a deal earlier…
Why haven’t outlet centers faced saturation issues yet?
Saturation concerns have been heard around factory outlet centers since their arrival in the 80s and 90s. At that time, the centers only opened in extremely remote areas and focused…
Amazon launches e-book subscription service
Can an online subscription plan work for e-books as it does for streaming movies and television shows? That question may be answered soon with the debut of “Kindle Unlimited” from…
Should Target cut and run in Canada?
Target, by its own admission, has made a mess of its business in Canada. In fact, Credit Suisse has gone so far as to suggest that Target’s new CEO, whomever…
Holt Renfrew to bring luxury shopping ‘apartments’ to its stores
In an effort to become even more exclusive, high-end department store retailer Holt Renfrew will create luxury shopping “apartments” in its Canadian stores. What do you think of “The Apartment”…
Supervalu to leave grocery retailing to its customers
Back in March, Supervalu made clear that its focus going forward would be primarily on its wholesaling operations, which serve roughly 1,900 independently owned and operated stores. That commitment was…
What’s taking J.C. Penney so long to find a new CEO?
Last August, J.C. Penney’s board was criticized for the time it was taking to find a permanent CEO to replace Mike Ullman, who rejoined the company on an interim basis…
Online subscription service gets physical
While many e-tailers have been setting up stores or showrooms to support their online businesses, Birchbox has apparently become the first subscription service to open a physical space. Is there…
CVS deal is all about better understanding Latino consumers
CVS Caremark announced on Monday that it had entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacy, the largest Hispanic-owned drugstore chain in the U.S. Do you expect…
Walmart won’t compete with Walmart.com
This is a tale of two shoppers: one who came away happy and the other, a columnist who was befuddled by his experience and wrote about it on the Atlanta…
Consumers read and trust online reviews for local businesses
More than ever, consumers in the U.S. and Canada are reading online customer reviews to determine whether a local business is a good one, according to results from the latest…
Sears and Kmart expand store pickup everywhere
Last week’s announcement that Sears and Kmart were expanding store pickup for online orders to the chains’ more than 2,000 locations didn’t get a lot of attention because, well, it…
Best Buy’s strategy: ‘Renew Blue, Ignite the Possible’
Best Buy, nearly written off a few years ago, has more than bounced back. It is aggressively combating “showrooming” and winning. With sales up and its stock rising, Best Buy…
Barbie and Spiderman target grownups
For more than five decades, both Barbie and Marvel’s iconic superheroes targeted boys and girls. But both are now rolling out extensive licensing arrangements targeting more mature audiences. Why after…
Mobile/in-store shopping getting intertwined
According to CFI Group’s Retail Satisfaction Barometer 2014, 41 percent of consumers now actively use mobile apps while shopping, nearly double the 21 percent that did so in a similar…
