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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Retail Customer Experience: Four Out of Five Frustrated with Mobile Experience
According to a survey conducted online by Harris Interactive, more than four in five (84 percent) consumers who have conducted a mobile transaction via smartphone or other mobile device in…
Record Stores Rock
Despite reports to the contrary, record stores are still around today despite digital downloads. A few (very few) are still thriving concerns and have managed to grow by sticking to…
BrainTrust Query: The Epsilon Imperative
In what some observers say was the largest breach of consumer data in history, servers at Epsilon Interactive last week were compromised by hackers, exposing the names and email addresses…
Microsoft Store Needs Own Identity
A RetailWire piece back in October looked at Microsoft’s plan to open its retail stores as close to Apple as possible, even if that meant being right across the hall…
Greek Yogurt – Far From a Tragedy
Greek yogurt, which has been creating quite a stir in the dairy aisle, is about to become quickly crowded with a heap of well known and lesser known names joining…
CPGmatters: Philips Takes Category Management to New Trade Channels
Both Kohl’s and Best Buy have set formulas for merchandising in their stores — and neither includes CPG-type category management. Why has category management faced slow adoption outside traditional CPG…
New Kindle Has Lower Price and Ads
Amazon has come up with a way to make its Kindle e-reader more affordable — advertising. The company’s new Kindle with Special Offers is priced at $114, $25 less than…
Greenpeace Grades Retailers on Seafood Sustainability
Greenpeace USA’s fifth Carting Away the Oceans (CATO) report raises the flag on unsustainable seafood industry practices while praising the work of leading retailers to protect supplies. How aware are…
Consensus Advisors: Not in Kansas Anymore
Technology has landed us in a place that seems so fantastical it could only be a dream. The National Retail Federation offered up glimpses of the totally new world we…
Walmart Reverses Course on SKU Rationalization
Perhaps the most high-profile SKU rationalization program took place at Walmart as part of the company’s Project Impact that sought to clean up the chain’s shopping environment. A subsequent dip…
Macy’s Looking to Up Customer Service Levels
Having the right product in the right place is at the heart of the successful My Macy’s program. But product alone won’t make it in a department store setting and,…
BrainTrust Query: Luxury Isn’t Social
While it’s true that participation in social media among luxury brands has grown, the fact remains that the general level of activity has been low — especially considering the fervor…
TOMS’ Give-Away for Profit Business Model
Last Tuesday, April 4, TOMS Shoes promoted its 4th annual “One Day Without Shoes” campaign designed to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a…
Hands Across the Water as Stores Share Brands
As more supermarkets have established relationships with partners on either side of the Atlantic, shoppers have been able to share one another’s favorites. Will an exchange of brands bring international…
Google Eyes Convergence Around Web Commerce
Speaking last week at Web 2.0 Expo, Osama Bedier, vice president of payments at Google, said the convergence of three trends affecting the web — mobile, local and personal –…
Walmart Pop-Up May Rival Toys ‘R’ Us Express
According to unnamed sources who spoke to the New York Post, Walmart considered setting up toy-themed pop-up locations for the holiday selling season, although it eventually decided against it. Do…
Kroger’s Gas Rewards Program Shifts Into Overdrive
With rising gas prices as the backdrop, in rides the white knight of fuel rewards. Retailers have been using free or discounted gas for years as a means to drive…
SCDigest: Geiger Counters for the Supply Chain?
Towards the close of March, it looked like the Japanese had been able to get their troubled nuclear reactors under control. But a few of the reactors are still spewing…
GameStop May Develop Tablet Device
Considering that Amazon introduced Kindle and Barnes & Noble rolled out Nook to spur e-book sales, it probably shouldn’t seem crazy that GameStop is considering developing its own tablet computer…
Swipe Fee Battle Continues
Retailers made a good enough case last summer that interchange (AKA swipe) fees charged by banks to process debit card transactions were excessive, but, as they say, that was then…
Fast Company Defines Retail Innovation
Groupon landed the top spot on Fast Company’s list of 10 Most Innovative Companies in Retail. In fact, only five brick & mortars made the cut. Which retailers would make…
