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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
AmazonFresh shoppers get a remote control
Once again proving that Amazon is a technology company that happens to do commerce, the Seattle giant has released Amazon Dash, a new tool for shoppers, complementing their Fresh program,…
Family Dollar to close stores and lower prices
Family Dollar plans to close 370 stores, cut back on opening new locations and lower prices on about 1,000 items. The efforts are designed to save $45 million annually while…
J. Crew brings back swimsuit by customer request
Many, perhaps even most, consumers know the frustration of really liking a particular product only to find it’s been discontinued. But for a freelance writer who went public on New…
Speedy checkout wins retail technology of the year
While the bigger retail technology buzz last year went to data tracking devices, augmented reality and drones, the top retail innovation in InformationWeek’s Elite 100 went to Kroger Co.’s QueVision…
Walmart and Wild Oats to roll back organic food prices
Touché Target. The chain’s announcement of its “Made to Matter” collection of organic and natural products has gotten a lot of attention. But stay en garde. Here’s Walmart’s counter-strike —…
Loehmann’s gets new life as e-tailer
When the fashion discount chain Loehmann’s filed for its third and final bankruptcy late last year, the company partly blamed its failure on being late in introducing the e-commerce channel…
Dollar General CEO sells shares, investors worry
One of the typical perks of being a top executive at a publicly traded company is that shares of the company stock are part of the deal. On the downside,…
Shock and Awesome: Why surprise rewards work
Surprise rewards work as long as two conditions are met, said Dr. Josh Klapow, chief behavioral scientist for ChipRewards, an incentive an engagement company. They work if they are novel…
Will Target’s new organics venture matter to consumers?
Target is known for working with designers to create unique products at price points that a large percentage of the population can afford. With a partnership program called “Made to…
Who owns the customer experience in retail?
Should the emerging CXO role – chief customer experiencer – own the customer experience in retail? If so, they’ll have to dethrone the CMO. Do you agree that marketing’s role…
Who should be liable for data breaches?
It’s hard lately to come across a story about Target without the words data breach being mentioned. At the moment, banks and credit card companies are responsible for any losses…
Starbucks has a recycling problem
In 2004, Starbucks announced a company plan to use 10 percent recycled material in its coffee cups. In 2008, the company set a goal of implementing recycling in all its…
Should more grocers shift to hi-lo pricing?
Most grocery operators use a blend of hi-lo and EDLP, but based on a reader survey, there have been slight shifts in some corners to more hi-lo. This is largely…
Google’s 100-year study: Worker happiness
Turning its snooping skills on itself, Google has embarked on what it hopes will be a 100-year-long study to explore what makes employees productive and happy. Where are the most…
Can McCafe become America’s favorite coffee brand?
McDonald’s recent announcement that it would be soon be handing out free coffee at its U.S. restaurants for two weeks set off wide speculation about how serious the fast food…
What new store managers need beyond training
Since many promotions to store manager involve someone who’s a great individual contributor but has little if any management experience, it’s not surprising when that person takes awhile to find…
Buyers need to take more chances
It’s fair to say that many retailers became more conservative in their approach to buying during the Great Recession. One such retailer, according to The Wall Street Journal, is Saks…
IKEA takes a road trip and puts it online
IKEA is hitting the road. Well, five of its employees are anyway. As part of a yearlong event known as the “IKEA Home Tour,” the workers will visit families across…
New study reveals consumers are ‘uninspired’ by online shopping
Through a new joint survey, Compare Metrics and the e-tailing group have concluded that 67 percent of shoppers want to shop online because they find it fun and efficient, but…
Big chains hop on the eBay Now bandwagon
The list of retailers offering same-day delivery through eBay Now is growing and the list includes some of the biggest names from across the industry. Will eBay and others be…
Amazon Lockers are a two-way threat
When Amazon.com began testing lockers in retail stores, it was billed as a secure means for customers to receive orders that for whatever reason could not be left at their…
