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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Where have all the retail merchants gone?
For many years now, people in and around retailing have been wondering where all the creative talent has gone, and whether the rise of cookie cutter chain stores would spell…
What is the state of retail logistics in 2014?
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals’ 25th Annual State of Logistics Report, released this week in Washington, DC, has good news for retailers and suppliers alike. Freight shipments are…
Employing a special workforce
VERC Enterprises Inc., an operator of 26 convenience stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, around the turn of the latest century began hiring workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities and…
Where have all the retail CEOs gone?
Where have all the retail CEOs gone? That’s the question that has been floating around for months in the wake of the succession challenges facing Target, J.C. Penney and others…
Amazon’s Fire Phone is all about selling stuff on Amazon.com
Yesterday, Amazon.com introduced its Fire Phone, the first smartphone from the e-tailing giant. Whether the new unit is about “new breakthrough technologies” or is just an average premium smartphone with…
Is America finally ready to embrace futbol?
Twenty years ago the prediction was that it was a matter of when, not if, soccer would become one of the most popular live sporting events in the U.S. The…
Restoration Hardware bulks up on its catalog business
Back in 2011, Restoration Hardware produced its then largest-ever catalog, which was 616 pages long and weighed three pounds. Now the retailer has just dropped its latest catalog, which has…
Is web marketing heading for a personality crisis?
Mimicking how social networks analyze user content for advertising purposes, a Berkeley-based startup, Five, has launched a web tool that predicts users’ personalities based on their Facebook posts. What are…
Target gives it the old college try with new registry
Promotions focused on kids going off to college are nothing new or unusual for retailers selling the wide range of products needed for dorm life and the classroom. What’s new,…
Lands’ End gets off to a good start post Sears
After being spun off by its parent company, it has been so far, so good for Lands’ End as the casual clothing brand and retailer announced a 3.6 percent increase…
Should retailers trust their gut or their data?
Recent studies indicate U.S. marketers often rely on their gut for marketing budget decisions, and also suggest a low amount of confidence in data analysis when it comes into conflict…
Starbucks finds smart way to attract and retain workers
If you want another reason why people want to work for Starbucks, look no further than the company’s recently announced College Achievement Plan, intended to help thousands of part- and…
Study: 88 percent of shoppers webroom
According to recent study from Interactions, most consumers engaged in webrooming — researching online before buying in stores — because they believed they could find the lowest prices in-store. How…
Grocers need to promote impulsive behavior online
In a recent survey of U.K. shoppers, 29 percent felt they make far fewer impulse purchases of grocery products online than in-store. In comparison, just seven percent said they make…
General Mills calls kid marketing research ‘absurd’
With restrictions on TV marketing of products aimed at kids, more importance is being placed on how cereals are marketed in the store. General Mills’ recent dustup with Cornell University…
EBay’s CEO talks about the ‘commerce revolution’
EBay CEO John Donahoe took to the stage of the 10th annual Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago on Wednesday to discuss what he calls the “commerce revolution.” For…
Is Amazon’s new music service primed for success?
While that question of whether the Prime membership price increase would lead to lost subscribers has not yet been answered, Amazon has given members another reason to stay put with…
Google and Sainsbury’s are the food rescuers
An increase in Google searches looking for advice on using leftover food has inspired a partnership between the search engine and British supermarket Sainsbury’s. Suggestions are provided for leftovers from…
Alibaba sets up online shops in America
Being China’s largest e-commerce company means that Alibaba is no slouch. But that doesn’t mean the company’s first site in the U.S. will roll over the likes of Amazon and…
Starbucks customers get charged up over new service
Starbucks has long positioned itself as the place between home and work where customers can buy themselves a coffee and hang out for an extended period of time. Now, the…
Are Millennials the foodie generation?
According to a survey from The Hartman Group, 46 percent of Millennials will leave their primary store or supermarket to buy cheeses, prepared foods, specialty meats, baked foods and other…
