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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Walmart makes ad price comparisons easy
Walmart in some markets has launched a new price comparison tool, The Savings Catcher, that enables shoppers to instantly conduct extensive local price checks. How does The Savings Catcher complement…
Useful consumer insights, anybody?
The lack of useful consumer insights is one of the most consistent criticisms retailers have about their vendor partners. Piles of data on consumer demographics and buying habits rarely seem…
Google Glass goes on the defensive
Facing a loud backlash well before its launch, Google last week in a Google+ post addressed 10 “myths” around Google Glass. The criticism – including outright bans at restaurants and…
FTC focuses on in-store tracking and data security
Advertising Age recently reported on five expected areas of focus for the Federal Trade Commission this year. All five revolve around consumer privacy and data security. This could become an…
Starbucks to expand alcohol sales, partner with Oprah
Starbucks announced that it would expand its rollout of alcohol sales to thousands of locations over the next several years and that it had reached a deal with Oprah Winfrey…
Consumers want straight talk
New research shows that consumers are tired of communications from retailers and other entities that don’t provide clear and honest information, and that this frustration leads to a loss of…
Where have all the retail data scientists gone?
At its recent annual analyst meeting in Steamboat Springs, CO, SAS referred multiple times to four key user groups – business management, business analysts, IT staff, and data scientists. Data…
Dollar General looks to do a lot more with less
Dollar General management thinks the chain has a SKU problem. “We actually believe we can do more in 2014, with less SKUs,” said Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO of the…
Kohl’s brands itself in pink
Those who have opted-in to get e-mails from Kohl’s are used to a steady barrage of X percent off messages from the retailer. Just about everything that comes from the…
Do shoppers need reminders to play nice?
A French café has earned viral acclaim for posting a sign that shows higher prices for rude customers than polite ones. Essentially, the price becomes cheaper when a simple “Hello”…
Is H&M’s brick before click strategy working?
H&M Group has never been in any rush to pursue online sales, particularly in the U.S. Back in 2012, when launching e-commerce sites in other countries, the fast fashion retailer…
Walmart expands video game trade-in deals to its stores
Walmart has its sights set on GameStop and its dominant share of the $2 billion used video gaming market. That’s the conclusion that one might draw from the retailer’s announcement…
Walmart opens first ‘To Go’ convenience store concept
Most people know Walmart to Go as the retailer’s nascent attempt at home delivery. Now, however, the banner also has a physical presence at a single convenience store in Bentonville,…
Consumers not interested in social shopping
According to a survey from YouGov, almost four in 10 online consumers in the U.K. like to keep their social media and shopping activity separate. Around the same proportion believe…
Empty shelves become big news on investor sites
“A picture tells a thousand words.” “Every picture tells a story.” “The camera doesn’t lie.” We’ve all heard the adages before and largely accepted them. That’s what makes it so…
Google to open Big Apple store near the Apple Store
Google will reportedly open its first U.S. store in New York City’s trendy SoHo district, right around the corner from Apple’s first Manhattan location. With Google not talking, observers ask…
Six questions to get actionable feedback from customers
It’s important to ask questions. But it’s also easy to ask questions that lead the witness. “Have we met your expectations?” is a lame question to ask a customer. What…
Is Amazon Prime more vulnerable to competitive threats?
Following Amazon’s widely-covered move last week to raise the price of its Amazon Prime delivery service from $79 to $99, ShopRunner, which partners with brick-and-mortar retailers to ensure two-day shipping,…
There’s a link between employee engagement and customer loyalty
In the February issue of Direct Marketing, one part of the feature story, “Fickle About Loyalty,” that begs attention was the statement that customers may not be “the only stakeholders…
CVS customizes data in a big way
Earlier this week at the IRI Summit in Florida, Judy Sansone, senior vice president merchandising at CVS, provided some excellent insights into the company’s priorities of using customer data. What…
Amazon looks to pump up Kindle sales with monthly payments
Maybe Amazon’s mindreading technology does work. George Anderson’s family has been talking about buying another tablet but prices, even on entry-level tablets, are high. Today, Amazon.com sent them an e-mail…
