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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Same-day fixit service could be a winner for RadioShack
Look out Geniuses and Geeks. RadioShack has decided that same-day in-store repairs of mobile phones and tablets no longer covered by a manufacturer warranty may be just the thing to…
Pricing for grocery profits
Pricing can be a real pain in the butt. If you want to stay out of trouble, the most important thing is to get a clear understanding from top management…
Grocery store workers go on the dole as wages fall
A new report by the University of California, Berkeley Food Labor Research Center’s Saru Jayaraman and UC Davis professor Chris Benner ties the state’s growing number of grocery industry workers…
Amazon offers way to pay for stuff not bought on Amazon
Amazon wants to make it easier to pay your bills. The company’s Amazon Payments service enables customers to used the information stored in their Amazon accounts to pay phone bills,…
Customer Experiences: The KISS principle
We talk a lot about the great things retailers can do to make the omni-channel customer experience optimal and seamless. It was no different at last week’s CRMC event (Customer…
Accident leads to questions about trucker hours
A six-car accident this past weekend on the New Jersey Turnpike, allegedly caused by a driver of a Walmart tractor-trailer who had gone without sleep for more than 24 hours,…
Apple’s got the beat(s)
By now you know that Apple has agreed to pay $3 billion to buy Beats. The company’s main tangible businesses are its high-end speakers and music gear and a streaming…
Are loyalty program tiers overly confusing?
According to a recent study by COLLOQUY, instead of fostering loyalty, the traditional three-tier loyalty structure is creating confusion, particularly with lower-tier members. Do you agree that tiered loyalty program…
What does a Coke cost?
Exploring the obesity issue in what some consider a bizarre way, Coca-Cola released an online ad detailing how 23 minutes of cycling burns off a 12-ounce can of Coke. What…
Dad still getting little respect
According to NRF’s 2014 Father’s Day Spending Survey, total spending on next weekend’s holiday is expected to reach $12.5 billion. That’s 37.2 percent lower than the $19.9 billion the trade…
Barnes & Noble teams with Samsung to revive Nook tablet sales
Barnes & Noble and Samsung Electronics have announced a new deal to develop co-branded Galaxy Tab 4 Nook tablets that will come with pre-installed apps from the bookseller and a…
Coach gives in, announces plans to run sales
Consumers of incredibly pricey handbags rejoice! Coach, the largest maker of luxury handbags in America and hater of discounting, has relented and will finally begin to run sales. What do…
When personalized offers touch a nerve
That member of your loyalty program who purchased a carton of cigarettes for the first time in a year? It’s a data point to a retailer, but a sign of…
Walmart to go national with price match program
Walmart’s online Savings Catcher price comparison tool has worked in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Huntsville, Lexington, Minneapolis and San Diego. On Friday, according to reports, the retailer will announce plans to…
Dollar General takes greater slice of shrinking pie
What is a retailer to do when consumers are cutting back but its success depends on continued growth? For Dollar General, it means an increased focus on category management, planogram…
Is the suburban mall headed for a rebirth?
Among the mega-trends to emerge from the financial crisis is the decline of the suburban shopping mall. But according to data from Plunkett Research and the International Council of Shopping…
Dunkin’ and Starbucks go after the lunchtime crowd
All’s fair in love and retail. With a growing list of restaurants looking to grab share of the out-of-home breakfast market, who could blame Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks for going…
Who needs TV when commercials go viral online?
By now, you may be one of the millions of viewers who have watched Nike’s “Winner Stays” commercial on Facebook, YouTube and elsewhere. The success of the spot is part…
Many say marketers’ mobile alerts aren’t useful or relevant
Sixty-six percent of respondents to a Hipcricket survey say they have received a text message or mobile alert from a brand in the last six months. However, only 45 percent…
Amazon puts robots to work
At Amazon’s recent annual shareholders meeting, CEO Jeff Bezos said the company would deploy 10,000 robots in its distribution centers by the end of the year, up from 1,382 it…
Sephora puts a tech spin on ‘Mirror, mirror’
The question of whether one shade of blush looks better than another can now be answered with the simple touch of a screen. At least that’s the hope of beauty…
