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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
A Contrarian Penney to Sell Outlet Stores
While many other retailers are increasing the number of outlet stores they operate, J.C. Penney is getting out of the business altogether. What do you make of J.C. Penney’s reported…
RSR Research: Software Selection – The Last IT Frontier?
Selecting new software applications was never a pretty process. In the first 120 days after implementation of whatever was selected, most every conversation with users would start with these four…
Jim Sinegal Retiring as Costco CEO
Jim Sinegal, the man synonymous with Costco, has decided to retire as CEO on January 1. Mr. Sinegal, who will stay on as a member of the company’s board and…
Sears Goes (Costco) Clubbing with Craftsman Tools
Sears as a brand marketer rather than a retailer may have gotten its biggest boost to date with the revelation that Costco will begin selling Craftsman tools in its clubs…
LED Lighting Stirs Debate Over Food Presentation
Department stores use flattering lighting for dressing rooms and jewelers carefully illuminate their display cases. But are such lighting techniques appropriate for food? Do you see atmospheric lighting as enhancing…
Retail TouchPoints: Social Media ‘Fatigue’ Impacts Channel Growth
Although analysts have predicted that social media will continue to have a significantly positive effect on brand awareness and purchase decisions, a new report by Gartner has revealed a growing…
Best Buy Reverses Course on Outsourcing
According to a Star Tribune article, Best Buy, which has outsourced much of its IT needs going back to 2004, is now looking to bring that work back in-house. Has…
Sainsbury to Test iPad Shopping Cart
Someone is going to make the marriage of shopping carts and video work, right? While a number of companies have introduced carts with video systems in recent years, none has…
BrainTrust Query: The Shopper’s Trophy, Part 1 – Creating an Opportunistic Purchase
Nearly every routine shopping trip has a “trophy,” an item that is bragged about once the shopper returns home. It would seem that the shopper’s trophy is a planned purchase…
Irene Vs. Retailers
It’s been quite a week for the East Coast. First came an earthquake and then Hurricane Irene. That latter event has turned into the gift that keeps giving as communities…
Nordstrom Offers Free Shipping and Returns
Free shipping is pretty much a given at this point for online purchases as consumers factor in the cost of delivery in their buying decisions. For a small number of…
Who’s Next?
In a major departure from the past, retailers aren’t just layering fresh talent onto conventional configurations, but are purging legacy players, re-jiggering traditional reporting structures and, in some cases, leaving…
Fake Reviews Become a Paycheck
While past RetailWire discussions have explored how online reviews can be skewed by motivations to earn higher rankings as a reviewer, turns out there’s an easier to way for brands…
Study: Holiday Selling Themes Falling Short
As holiday planning approaches, a new Motista study suggests retailers should look beyond the traditional themes of family and giving and instead be working on establishing better connections with consumers…
Outlet Malls Adding Square Footage
At least in terms of real estate, outlet malls are the stars of retail. The channel appears to be the only one witnessing noticeable square footage growth. What’s your assessment…
Grocers Go ‘Ultra Local’ with Rooftop Gardens
It’s about as local as you can get with produce — growing fruits and vegetables right on the roof of a store. That’s the idea being put forth by a…
Lunchtime Learning Needed
Concerned parents may have read reports recently from the University of Texas about the poor conditions in which packed lunches are kept. The challenge, then, is ensuring lunchboxes remain healthy…
Steve Jobs Resigns as Apple’s CEO
It obviously had to happen at some point, but that still doesn’t make Steve Jobs’ decision to resign as CEO of Apple any less jarring. What will Steve Jobs’ resignation…
CSD: Valero Launches Mystery Shopper Program
Valero has partnered with Maritz Research to launch a new mystery shopping program called Commitment to Excellence. Each of the company’s locations throughout its wholesale network will be visited by…
Everyone Getting Into the Grocery Business
Channel blurring, specifically related to grocery sales, is not a new idea. Certainly there is plenty of evidence it’s taking place with dollar stores, drugstores, online grocers and many other…
Retail TouchPoints: What E-Tailers Can Learn From Amazon.com
According to the 2011 Social Shopping Study recently released by PowerReviews and the e-tailing group, shoppers spend 75 percent of their time online conducting research, with Amazon being regarded as…
