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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
BrainTrust Query: Who Really Needs a CIO?
As cloud computing introduces more alternatives to in-house solutions, the role of the internal IT department has changed as retailers have gone from building their own solutions to buying prepackaged…
Food Waste: Don’t Blame It On the Specials
The intended consequence of promotional offers is increased sales. The unintended consequence is increased waste caused by retailers, or so many perceive. However, according to a study by the U.K.’s…
BrainTrust Query: A Look Back at Loyalty Marketing in 2011
Top of mind for loyalty marketers at the start of 2011 was the need to add value for members while keeping costs under control. But cracking the code of Social…
Publix Abandoning Curbside Service
In August of 2003, Publix Super Markets announced it was closing its online grocery and home delivery business, roughly two years after launching the service. In August of 2010, Publix…
CSD: Train to Retain
Convenience store operators need to thoroughly understand the key areas where managers and employees interact and share what has been proven to work, starting with training. What are some regular…
Dollar General Taking a Slice of Walmart’s Pie
Dollar General is no Walmart killer, but according to a recent piece on Forbes.com, the chain’s focus on convenience and price is helping it grab share from its big box…
Shopko and Pamida Merger Puts Focus on Small Towns
The announcement yesterday that mass merchants Shopko Stores and Pamida would merge into one company under the Shopko name is being presented as big news for the small communities the…
FDBuyer: How A&G Fresh Market Stays Fresh
It’s exciting when a scrappy and agile independent goes toe to toe with the big chains and thrives. A&G Fresh Market, in a working class Polish neighborhood on the west…
BrainTrust Query: 2012 Predictions for Retail Technology
In past years we’ve seen the rise of Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon, lots of new alternative payment types, more engineered systems, better social analytics, more 2-D barcodes, greater adoption…
Little Steven Looks to Put Netflix on E(asy) Street in Mob Comedy
Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band and “Sopranos” fame is at the center of Netflix’s strategy to regain its edge in the streaming video and DVD rental business…
Hy-Vee Focused on Healthy Growth at Checkouts
Last month, Hy-Vee announced it was expanding its limited test of selling only healthy snack items at checkout lanes to over 100 stores across eight states. Will “healthy” checkout lanes…
BrainTrust Query: E-Commerce Has December Advantage
What’s been clear for several years is that e-commerce is taking more market share with each Christmas season and that’s affecting brick ‘n’ mortar retailers more and more. Do you…
Best Buy Overpromises on Online Delivery
Hit by overwhelming demand over Black Friday weekend, Best Buy alerted some customers just before Christmas that it would not be able to fill their online orders. On Best Buy’s…
Walgreens Bids Adieu to Express Scripts
After a long negotiation battle, Walgreens Co. allowed its contract with Express Scripts Inc. to end on News Years Day. Beyond the loss of billions in direct pharmacy sales, Walgreens…
Retail Customer Experience: Small Surf Shop Plans to Overtake E-Competitors With Technology
Friction, a newly opened surf and skate shop in New Smyrna Beach, FL, is banking on technology to outsell its competitors. Its staff is outfitted with iPads equipped with Apple’s…
Study: Promo Strategy Better for Grocers vs. EDLP
A new paper from the Stanford Graduate School of Business finds that a promotional pricing strategy appears to be a better approach to competing against big boxes than than every-day-low…
Online Merchants Benefit from SWI (Shopping While Intoxicated)
There has never been a shortage of ideas for what to do with a drunken sailor. Now retailers are considering how to handle inebriated online shoppers. Should online retailers put…
Sears to Shutter Up to 120 Stores
Following another poor holiday selling season, Sears Holdings Corp. on Monday announced plans to close between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart doors. What ongoing hurdles does Sears face in…
BrainTrust Query: How Tablets Could Revolutionize the Shopper Path to Purchase
As when any technology becomes adopted, the prices for tablets should drop and the penetration of tablets will increase. With that come new usage patterns. How may tablets transform the…
Leo Burnett’s Evolving American Consumer
Unwed mothers, stay-at-home dads and daily deal fever are among the trends that are forever changing the face of the American consumer, according to “HumanKind 2012: The Transformation of Aspiration,”…
BrainTrust Query: But We’re Building Market Share
Discounting has taken the profit out of selling merchandise. And as more and more methods for discounting have become possible, retailers seem to be losing control of their margins. Do…
