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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Macy’s Stores Counter Amazon’s Logistics Edge
Macy’s Inc. is doing a lot right these days. Same-store and online sales were all up in the first quarter of 2012 versus last year. The company has acknowledged that…
Latest Fashions Hit the Streets in Trucks
In the past couple of years, food trucks have become all the rage in foodservice circles as they have helped expand the notion of what can be achieved in the…
A Tweet Too Far – CFO Loses Job
Francesca’s Holdings, which operates over 280 women’s wear and accessories boutiques in 41 states, announced that it had terminated the employment of the company’s chief financial officer Gene Morphis after…
Retail Customer Experience: Using Associates to Reduce Self-Checkout Theft
While video analytics and other technologies may be the ultimate answer to reducing theft at self-checkouts, staffing the areas and training promise a quicker path to stem any losses. What…
In-Store Clinics Good for What Ails Chains
Many doctors and the organizations that represent them are still not happy about clinics located in retail stores, but that hasn’t had much effect in stopping the growth of the…
Penney Eliminates Commissions
In its ongoing effort to reinvent the traditional department store model, J.C. Penney is eliminating commission sales for groups of sales associates. Do you agree that non-commissioned hourly associates are…
BrainTrust Query: Of Habit and Target
The New York Times Magazine made people nervous with its February 19th cover story by author Charles Duhigg. Its chilling headline, “How Companies Learn Your Secrets,” seems to have compelled…
Local Manufacturing Gets Spotlight in San Francisco
The local movement has—perhaps not so surprisingly—gone extreme in San Francisco. Last week, the city held a second-annual week-long celebration of local manufacturers. What’s the likelihood that locally-made movements will…
BrainTrust Query: When A Customer Freaks Out
While waiting for a flight, BrainTrust panelist Doug Fleener watched a very stressed passenger freak out on an airline representative. The passenger’s behavior was embarrassing and completely unacceptable, and he…
Associate Inclusion Can Make a Big Difference for Retailers
Until now, diversity training has revolved around gender, race, creed, ethnicity, etc., generally focusing on what not to do. Just as important, according to Rich Brandt of the RDR Group,…
Bed Bath & Food
By all accounts, Bed Bath & Beyond’s $495 million deal to acquire Cost Plus will create a match made in heaven. The two companies have engaged in a successful test…
BrainTrust Query: An Open Letter to Millennials
Surveying a recent study of Millennials by The Boston Consulting Group, we can say that the younger generation now outnumbers Boomers, and that they are “Engaged,” Optimistic” and “Charitable.” What’s…
Managers Overestimating Staff’s Love
If you’re a manager, you may have great ideas and a good opinion of the ways in which you communicate them to staff. If you’re one of those staff members,…
Amazon Making Moves to Rule Fashion World
Strike the Amazon pose. Jeff Bezos and company is getting ready to rock and rule the upscale fashion world. According to a report from The New York Times, Amazon.com is…
BrainTrust Query: Will Tablets Usher in an Era of ‘Dumber’ Retail Sales Help?
The ubiquity of tablets is well underway with retail being one of the industries to begin roll-outs to customer facing employees. The idea is that a more empowered salesperson will…
Target to Debut Standalone Specialty Store
The big news is that Target plans to open its first store in San Francisco this October. The smaller news is that the company also plans to debut its first…
Apple Core to Target’s, Walmart’s CE Strategies
Many accepted the premise that Target’s test of an Apple store-within-a-store concept at 20 of the chain’s locations may have played a role in the decision to drop the Kindle…
Costco Wants More to Go Clubbing Online
Costco is no lightweight when it comes to selling online, generating $2 billion a year in sales and being among the top 20 online merchants in the U.S. Yet that…
Amazon’s Going Hollywood
Building on its move in late 2010 to get into the movie production business, Amazon said last week it is soliciting ideas for comedy or kids series that can be…
Brazilians ‘Like’ Retailer’s New Digital Hangers
C&A has gone thoroughly modern with the addition of hangers in its stores in Brazil that feature a digital readout displaying the number of people who have “liked” a particular…
Social Media’s High Maintenance Consumers
Research from American Express has identified a still small, yet “extremely engaged and vocal,” group of customers that are among the first to be using social media to explore customer…
