RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Adding Dietitians to the Grocery Payroll
“There’s been an explosion of interest in having a dietitian among grocery store retailers in the last three or four years.” Should more supermarkets hire dietitians? How many should be…
AT&T Opens Flagship in Chicago
AT&T on Saturday opened its first flagship store. Located on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, the store goes beyond phones and tablets to demonstrate services such as fitness applications, wireless home security…
Walmart Testing Scan & Go Checkout Feature
Walmart is testing a new system that would allow customers to scan items with their iPhones and then quickly pay at a self-checkout counter. What do you think of Walmart’s…
BrainTrust Query: Finding Common Ground … That Isn’t at the Bottom of a Pit
With the money and shoppers in play, the supermarket industry has traditionally been a magnet for huge investments from the CPG community. But there has always been something missing from…
Target Lands Soup Exclusive
With its steady rollout of limited edition collections, Target has gained wide media attention and added to its fashion cred. With an exclusive Campbell’s soup can line celebrating Andy Warhol,…
The Retail Organization of the Future
To be ready for newly empowered customers and further increases in costs, we need to think about – and operate – our businesses differently. How should retail organizations be transformed…
A Tiny Showrooming Tipping Point
Forty-five percent of customers shopping in-store at bricks-and mortar-locations will walk out and complete their purchase online for a discount as low as 2.5 percent, according to a showrooming study…
Are “Smart” Videos the Key to Online Retail Growth?
Online retailers can and have used various types of videos to improve sales. Now comes definitive word that consumers are responding to these videos, plus a new development that could…
RSR Research: CRM Evolution 2012 – Beyond CRM 2.0
CRM has long been a bad word in retail, ever since some retailers spent millions trying to implement it in the late 90s and early half of the 00s. But…
Millennials Love Trader Joe’s
According to research from Onesixtyfourth LLC, Trader Joe’s has cultivated an eclectic, cult-like following among Millennials, particularly those identified as trendsetters and early adopters. What makes Trader Joe’s “hip…
Westfield Mall App Gets a Makeover
The Westfield Group, which operates 48 shopping centers in the U.S., recently unveiled a complete redesign of its shopping center app that it described as “essentially the mall concierge in…
Point/Counterpoint: Can Anyone Beat Amazon At Its Own Game?
Is Amazon.com an unstoppable powerhouse? As growth slows or plateaus at major chains, Amazon’s upward trajectory continues. Do you believe that a company could beat Amazon at its own game,…
Door to Door Organics Gets More Green
While e-commerce has been slow to gain traction in the grocery category, at least some investors believe in Door to Door Organics, the Boulder, CO-based e-grocer. What do you think…
Seniors In Retailers’ Sights?
Dealing (in every sense of the word) with an aging population is a hot topic globally as retailers worldwide seek new ways to make shopping easier and more attractive to…
BrainTrust Query: Walgreens Enters the Loyalty Game
The long awaited and much rumored loyalty program from Walgreens reportedly will launch on September 16. Called Balanced Rewards, the loyalty card will utilize a point-based system. Which fresh approaches…
Domino’s to Premiere Pizza Theater
As part of a four-year-long branding makeover, Domino’s is introducing a more upscale “Pizza Theater” store concept as well as a simplified logo. Is upscale, experiential and interactive bound to…
Can the Retailing Industry Take a Lesson on Social Media from DSW Shoes?
A presentation made recently by Designer Shoe Warehouse’s SVP of marketing at the eTail Conference demonstrated the fun and energy she and DSW bring to the category. Is community building…
Walmart Tests Grocery Receipt Comparison Tool
Walmart is testing a program that invites consumers to send Walmart a photo of a grocery receipt from a Walmart competitor. Within a couple of days, Walmart responds with a…
‘Skunk Works’ Projects Stoke ‘Intrapreneurial’ Fire
Perhaps during no other era in modern history has entrepreneurship been more meaningful to the business world. And perhaps getting successful ideas stirred up doesn’t have to be all that…
Smartphone Verdict Suggests Changes Ahead
If mobile shopping is the wave of the future for retailing, a landmark verdict last week could reshape how mobile tools look, work and are priced down the road. How…
KioskMarketplace: A Harsh Reality For Kiosks
Touchscreen interactive kiosks were first introduced in the 1980s. Now, the ubiquity of “smart” mobile devices will cull this industry down to a realistically small size and quickly kill off…
