RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Barnes & Noble Looks to Scoop Up Amazon Affiliates
Amazon.com isn’t messing around in Texas. When the state said the retailer would have to pay sales taxes just like all the other merchants doing business there, Amazon.com promptly announced…
RSR Research: Personalization vs. Relevancy
Retailers are getting a better picture of customer behavior, more data about consumers than ever before, and also the understanding that while consumers have concerns about privacy, they also desire…
Whole Foods Offers Free Drop-Offs for Floridian Farmers
Whole Foods is launching a program in Florida offering local farms free use of its stores throughout the state as drop-off and pick-up points for weekly deliveries under the state’s…
Keep Your Hands Off My Zip Code!
The California Supreme Court last week ruled that California’s retailers can no longer ask for the ZIP codes of customers who make purchases with credit cards. How important are attaining…
The Approaching ‘Singularity’
In science fiction and technology, the term “The Singularity” is often used to reference that point in time when computers surpass human intelligence. Tonight, IBM’s computer, Watson, will take a…
Loyal Consumers ID Their Favorite Brands
Brand loyalty lives, according to the 15th annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI), a survey of 46,000 consumers between 18 and 65. Have the elements that create consumer…
Walgreens Recommends Its Own Brands
A new ad for Walgreens shows a photo of a woman in a white coat with the headline, “Try the brand of health and wellness products our pharmacists recommend.” Is…
BrainTrust Query: “Traditional POS is Dead”
Traditional POS is dead! — we’ve heard that one before. The arrival of mobile POS promises to reduce long checkout lines, shrink the cost of funding of elaborate checkout counters,…
Amazon Sees Marketplace Defections
Some of Amazon.com’s biggest customers are leaving. The e-tailing giant, which generates roughly a third of its revenues from its marketplace, has seen Buy.com, Gap and Macy’s go off on…
Best Buy May Go EDLP Route
Best Buy is looking to shift from “three decades of tactical discounting” to an every day low pricing model, as reported by Bloomberg News. What do you think about Best…
BrainTrust Query: Mobile Is a Distraction
Numbers. Statistics. Just the facts. Is the fixation on mobile and e-commerce for many retailers coming at the expense of proper attention to brick & mortar operations? Is mobile technology…
Hackers Try to Crack Smartphones
A report by the security firm McAfee says the number of cyber attacks on smartphones increased dramatically in 2010. What will increased cyber-criminal activity mean for retailers operating mobile commerce…
L.L.Bean Turns on In-Store Video with RFID
L.L.Bean is testing a new system that uses radio frequency identification technology to determine when a shopper handles a specific product and then triggers a nearby video screen with information…
BrainTrust Query: Great Sandwich. Lousy Washrooms.
Compliantia recently conducted a survey asking people what they would do if a restaurant’s washroom lacked soap, was generally unsanitary or had a strong smell. Eighty-nine percent of respondents indicated…
Founder Likes the Way His Succession Looks
George Zimmer, who founded The Men’s Wearhouse in 1973, plans to step down as president and chief executive officer in mid-2011. Under the succession plan, he will be replaced by…
Study: Social Media Rates High But Fails to Drive Retail Web Traffic
A survey by ForeSee Results found that just five percent of respondents cite social media as the medium that “most influenced” them to visit a retailer’s website. What do you…
Safeway Sued for Not Alerting Club Card Users to Recall
Some retailers with loyalty programs have pointed to their ability to directly notify card holders of recalls as a plus. But, in an odd twist on that benefit, Safeway is…
DIY Tries to Woo Women
To appeal better to women, Home Depot has started offering Martha Stewart curtains in hues of “tilled soil,” paint in “cornbread,” and rugs in colors like “Wilderstein brook trout.” What…
SCDigest: Is it Deja Vu for Oil All Over Again?
Oil prices started to become a concern in 2005 and 2006 when they rose from roughly the $40-50 per barrel range into the $70s. Then, in 2007, Goldman Sachs analysts…
Super Bowl Ad Winners are Real Dogs
The Lombardi Trophy went to the Green Bay Packers and the Super Bowl’s best commercials went to the dogs, at least according to USA Today’s AdMeter ranking. Which commercials did…
Advertisers Spoil the Surprise Before Big Game
According to a New York Times report, advertisers are looking to build buzz for their spots by showing a portion or all of their commercials online before the game. What…
