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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Google’s new Shopping Express and the risk of online partnerships
A recent article in RE/CODE got BrainTrust panelist Bill Bittner thinking about the caution retailers must take when signing up with online partners. Apparently Google has launched an all-out effort…
That’s the way the cupcake chain crumbles (or not)
The cupcake craze may be over, but Crumbs Bake Shop may live to sell its gourmet versions another day. The chain announced it was shutting its doors immediately yet it…
Flubit takes on Amazon U.K. with gamification
Through the creation of private, discounted offers and a bit of gamification, Flubit, a U.K.-based online marketplace, believes it has a better mousetrap for smaller online retailers attempting to take…
What does natural mean, anyway?
Consumer Reports and the social action group, TakePart, are using the results of a recent study on consumer perceptions of “natural” on food packaging to attempt to have the word…
A different kind of ‘Christmas in July’ event
It’s become common this time of year for retailers to run Christmas in July events, many with questionable results. An exception to the norm is one currently being run by…
Dov Charney may be back at American Apparel
American Apparel CEO Dov Charney,recently fired for cause by the American Apparel’s board, is steadily trying to engineer a return to the company with the entire process being played out…
Warning all megalomaniacs: There’s a precipice ahead
One way or another, the big players just keep getting bigger. Along with gobbling up businesses at every turn, they sometimes study successful businesses and then roll out their own…
Walmart seeks small answers to big sales problem
In a recent interview with Reuters, Bill Simon, the president and CEO of Walmart’s U.S. business, said the recent improvements in the national economy have not found their way to…
Vacationing shoppers are hyper local
A new survey finds one subset of shoppers – those on vacation – have naturally been “buying local” well before it became trendy. And many are now tapping their mobile…
Is Bonobos paving the way for e-commerce showrooms?
Clearly a fan of showrooming as long as it leads to their own website, Bonobos Inc. has announced plans to have 40 “Guideshops” open nationwide by 2016. Are the benefits…
Are retailers overconfident when it comes to cybersecurity?
When asked how quickly their organizations would detect a data breach, 42 percent of retailers in a recent survey believed it would take 48 hours. That’s at least according to…
Out-of-stocks could leave Washington pot buyers bummed
Marijuana makes its debut as a legal high today in Washington State and big crowds are expected. The problem is that the 24 stores selling the herb already know demand…
Did Facebook’s mood experiment cross the line?
In early 2012, Facebook altered the news feed on the pages of nearly 700,000 of its users to explore the impact of negative and positive comments on moods. With the…
Google-powered 3-D loyalty app hits retail
Walgreens has partnered with its loyalty-app partner, Aisle411, to test Google’s virtual indoor 3-D mapping technology, Project Tango. The combined technologies enable shoppers to search and navigate products in store…
Local restaurants pass/fail personal loyalty test
If a retailer wants George Anderson’s loyalty, they need to earn it. Two recent experiences at local restaurants presented challenges that could have resulted in the short-term loss of revenue…
Kroger buys Vitacost.com
Kroger, the largest operator of supermarket chains in the U.S., has announced a definitive agreement to purchase Vitacost.com, an e-tailer of healthy living products, for roughly $280 million. What is…
Support your local merchant
July is Independent Retailer Month. This is a period of time when consumers across the country are encouraged to shop at the small guys in recognition of the positive social…
Should the young be discouraged from following their dreams?
According to Ben Carpenter, a Wall Street veteran with a new career-development book, young people shouldn’t necessarily be encouraged to “follow their dreams” or “feed their passion.” Rather, they should…
Why retailers should like video more than I do
At the Internet Retail Conference and Expo, BrainTrust panelist Nikki Baird gave a presentation on how retailers are using video to create richer experiences, and ended up with key insights…
Plus-sized women’s clothing is hot, just ask Melissa McCarthy
Sales of plus-sized women’s clothing grew five percent last year, according to The NPD Group, as the category appears to have finally rebounded from the hit it took when the…
Retailers let their rainbow flags fly
While support for same-sex marriage has grown and the nation’s courts strike down bans on those unions, a growing number of retailers are becoming more active in their support of…
