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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Does Google Need Stores?
Citing “an extremely reliable source,” 9to5Google said last week that Google Inc. “hopes to have the first flagship Google Stores open for the holidays in major metropolitan areas.” What would…
Has Whole Foods Dropped Its Prices Too Low?
Seeking to shed its “Whole Paycheck” reputation, Whole Foods over the last few years has held prices in a bid to appeal to a broader range of consumers. But Wall…
BrainTrust Query: Is Your Digital Strategy Active or Passive?
While it’s understandable that grocers need to hitch their wagons to those media and programs that represent critical mass, digital programs still live in the periphery of grocer marketing options…
What Must Toys ‘R’ Us’ New CEO Do That Its Old One Didn’t?
Toys “R” Us finds itself looking for a new chief executive following the announcement that current CEO Gerald Storch is stepping down from that position. What do you think are…
Restaurant Patrons Get Discount for Good Kid Behavior
It works for jail time and for car insurance, but at least one restaurant is also providing a break for good behavior from kids. Should restaurants or retailers provide discounts/rewards…
Have Exclusive Designer Deals Lost Their Value?
This week, Target put its exclusive designer cred on the line again and apparently won with the Prabal Gurung for Target collection. Are exclusive designer deals losing some of their…
BrainTrust Query: I’m Being Followed Online. Is That A Good Thing?
We’re being followed by banner ads. And “cookied.” And the technology is still pretty dumb. What value does banner ad tracking offer marketers? Where do you see the technology going…
Harris Teeter Hangs Out ‘For Sale’ Sign
Harris Teeter, the upscale grocery chain headquartered in North Carolina, has confirmed that it has hired J.P. Morgan to assist it as it pursues strategic alternatives. What is your evaluation…
Can BK Gain Territory in the Coffee Realm?
Whether Burger King is doing a Starbucks or McDonald’s me-too doesn’t matter nearly as much as how well the fast food chain executes against its newly announced plan to double…
Are Dollar Stores Headed Up or Down?
Recent stories pitched to RetailWire around the prospects for dollar stores have taken two angles. The first pitch posits that dollar stores have arrived at an over-stored state. The second…
MarketingCharts: Online Shoppers’ Path to Purchase Becomes More Complex and Personal
Seventy-three percent of online shoppers agree that their path to purchase is more complex and less direct than it used to be, according to an About.com study. Does it make…
Are Clinics the Key to Winning the Retail Healthcare Race?
An aging population and up to 30 million newly insured people without regular doctors are just two of the reasons that many see in-store clinics as a means for retailers…
Will New CEO Be the Right Rx For What Ails RadioShack?
While president of Walgreens’ Duane Reade division, Joe Magnacca helped develop a flagship concept he called “the most exciting drugstore in the world.” Now, many are wondering if Mr. Magnacca…
CPGmatters: Kraft Spinoff Looks to Big Mobile Future
In launching Mobile Futures, a program of intense cooperation between mobile technology startups and its specific brands, Mondelez International is looking for ideas and answers about how to harness smartphones…
Should Retailers Hire Ex-Cons?
Retailers have been lauded in recent years for their concentrated efforts to hire workers with physical disabilities, seniors, and teens. So what about the industry getting behind one more effort…
BrainTrust Query: Is Retail Going the Way of the Airlines?
In a recent article in Fast Company, Jeff Katz, a former airline industry executive, suggested that retail is bound to follow the path of airlines. Will consumers accept the airline-ification…
Snow Sport Stores Get Faceplanted by Online Rivals
In an open letter to trade members the chairman of the National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association said that the snow sports specialty industry is at a “tipping point” with…
Do Consumers Trust National Chains When It Comes to Local Foods?
According to a study from A.T. Kearney, consumers have trust issues when buying local food at national and big box retailers. How can big box stores and national chains improve…
Retail TouchPoints: Does Big Data Have to Be So Big?
At the recent Online Media and Marketing Association Data Driven Marketing conference, a Macy’s exec sent a buzz through the crowd by her admission that human judgment still has value…
Multichannel Retailing Myths Debunked
With multichannel retailing the rage, we thought it would be interesting to look at a report released by PwC this week, based on a study of 11,000 shoppers globally, which…
Do C-Suite Execs Play By the Same Rules as Other Workers?
There have been numerous instances over the years in which top-level executives at retail have resigned or been fired in disgrace, or even jailed for violating company rules of one…
