RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
NRF: The Power of Conscious Capitalism
A Super Session Tuesday at the NRF convention touted the merits of building a retail business around “conscious capitalism,” or one providing value — whether emotional, social or financial —…
Is Eddie Lampert Taking Sears Holdings Private?
Sears Holdings has seen its stock price rise on speculation that the company’s chairman, Edward Lampert, was getting ready to go private. Analysts, even those who saw some value in…
StorefrontBacktalk: Making the Case for Pushing Social Media in Stores
How’s this for ironic? Retailers complain about difficulties getting shoppers to explore their social media efforts. But these same retailers have the almost undivided attention of these shoppers when in-store…
CEOs Shuffle In and Out at Retail
According to a study from recruiting firm Russell Reynolds Associates, retailers are seeing a notably higher turnover rate at the CEO level than firms in other sectors and also face…
Apple Reveals List of Suppliers
Under pressure from labor groups, Apple for the first time unveiled a list of its suppliers and also agreed to let outside monitors audit working conditions inside the suppliers’ factories…
NRF Addresses Open Letter to President Obama
NRF sent a letter to President Obama last week urging him to advocate for policies that will help the retail industry grow and create jobs, including supporting sales tax fairness…
BrainTrust Query: Seven Reasons Retailers Shouldn’t Use Coupons
One of the things Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor) typically does as a retail consultant when he takes on a new client is to discontinue discount marketing programs. He presents…
Walgreens Takes Heat for Sponsored Tweets
In an attempt to win the public relations war waging with Express Scripts after they failed to reach agreement on a new contract, Walgreens paid Twitter to give it preferential…
‘The Shops’ Bring Indy Feel to Target
Target’s plan to open shops within its stores is not just limited to Apple. The company announced it will sell limited-edition merchandise from independent specialty shops as part of a…
Kroger Goes All Robotic with C-Store
Kroger has opened a fully automated convenience store on the campus of Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. The store, a 10×13-foot unit that stands nine-feet tall, carries up to…
Finding the Right Fit for Online Clothing Sales
UPcload, a Berlin-based start-up, has developed a system for ensuring that clothes purchased online actually fit when delivered. The technology will enable customers to upload their measurements and check the…
Publix Heading North and Straight for Harris Teeter
According to several reports, Publix is opening new stores in suburban South Carolina, just across the border from Charlotte, NC, Harris Teeter’s home base. What will Publix’s entry mean for…
BrainTrust Query: Ideas for Building Loyalty in Spite of System Beaters
Marketers are training us to become system beaters, or those shoppers who time their purchases to when their favorite brand is on sale or just load up on another acceptable…
3-D TV is Getting There, Slowly
An article on the Adweek website asks if we’re “past the hype” when it comes to 3-D TV. Based on the reports coming from CES in Las Vegas, we’re not…
Tesco to Shutter 12 Fresh & Easy Stores
From the Tesco perspective, the press coverage generated by the announcement that it has decided to close 12 Fresh & Easy stores may seem a bit overblown considering the chain…
Barnes & Noble Considering Options for Nook
Barnes & Noble said last Thursday that it was weighing spinning off its Nook business. The move would enable B&N to focus more closely on its aging bookstore business and…
Wall Street Spooked By Urban Outfitter CEO’s Resignation
Shares of Urban Outfitters’ stock dropped 15 percent in after-hours trading on the news that CEO Glen Senk had resigned. Urban Outfitters’ business has been struggling over the past year…
Aspiring Customers Shop at Nordstrom
In a January 2011 article on RetailWire, Bill Hanifin, managing director of Hanifin Loyalty, wrote that consumers “want things at the speed of the Internet, whether it’s information, customer service…
RSR Research: Retail 2012 – Disruption, Globalization, Opportunity
With holiday online sales winding up 15 percent higher year-over-year versus more modest gains for physical stores, digital marketers and online retailers are dragging back out all the stuff they…
Building a Culture of Winning
Fans of the Green Bay Packers from back in the Vince Lombardi era will recall the culture of the organization and its singular commitment to winning. In recent years, the…
Report: Apple to Open In-Store Shops in Target
Apple is planning to launch a store-within-a-store at more than two dozen Target locations this year, according to Apple Insider. Based on the report, Apple will initially place mini-stores in…
