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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Will Late-Night Delivery Pay Off for Walmart?
Walmart is now offering late-night Express Delivery until 10 p.m. for orders placed by 9:30 p.m. Will this offering benefit Walmart enough to offset execution challenges
Was Howard Schultz a ‘Distraction’ for Starbucks’ Board?
Howard Schultz, who built Starbucks’ coffee empire, stepped down from the company’s board of directors last week. What do you make of his legacy?
Will Instacart Succeed as an Advertising Company After Going Public?
Instacart is getting ready to change things up as they go public by leaning more heavily into advertising. If Instacart succeeds with its focus on ads, do you think others…
Is a 413-Store Divestiture Enough for the Kroger-Albertsons Merger?
Kroger and Albertsons are selling 413 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers to get regulatory approval for their planned merger. Is C&S a good choice to create a new competitor for…
Should Stores Close on Christmas Eve?
Altar’d State will be closing all of its stores on Christmas Eve for the first time this year. Would many chains engender enough goodwill from associates and consumers to offset…
Should U.S. Retailers Be Fighting Suppliers Against Shrinkflation?
A French supermarket recently began warning shoppers of shrinkflation by putting labels on its shelves to encourage supplies to cut their prices. Should U.S. grocers push back against shrinkflation as…
Can Target’s New Deal With Kendra Scott Boost Its Holiday Season?
Kendra Scott hits the mark with her exclusive jewelry, but will it help or hurt Target?
Do Marketers Have a Disconnect With the Average Joe and Jane?
A recent survey highlights how a growing disparity between consumer and marketer values can lead to campaigns that focus on trends consumers don’t care about. How can marketers reduce these…
Online Shopping Sees Falling Inflation Prices, but the Rest of the Economy Suffers
Online shoppers experienced falling prices throughout August, which is a positive sign that inflation is slowing down. Can consumers’ new spending priorities help curb inflation?
Can Party City Find Reasons To Celebrate Post-Bankruptcy?
Party City will exit bankruptcy with its debt load reduced by almost $1 billion and nearly 800 stores intact. How will the greatly reduced debt load help Party City improve…
Can Generative AI Power Best-in-Class Personalization for Estée Lauder?
Estée Lauder is seeking to enhance its operations through a partnership with Google Cloud that will focus on finding new uses for generative AI. Will advances in generative AI be…
Costco Loyalty Is the New Hot Fashion Brand
Kirkland Signature clothing has a cult following while Costco brand loyalty and membership remains at an all-time high. Have Costco shoppers become more loyal to the big box warehouse because…
Will AI Take Online Product Search to Another Level?
A crop of AI-powered product discovery startups have arrived. Is product search on retail websites and marketplaces generally underwhelming, and will AI improve results?
Should School Cafeterias Welcome Lunchables?
Kraft Heinz’s move to get its Lunchables into school cafeterias starting this fall has drawn pushback from parent groups and nutrition advocates. Should parents be concerned about nutrition-upgraded variations of…
Atlanta-Based Walmart To Reopen With a Police Substation
A Walmart in Atlanta will reopen next May with a police department substation in the latest measure to address a shoplifting epidemic across retail. What do you think of the…
Is Instacart Showing How AI Will Transform the Grocery Experience?
Instacart announced a series of AI-driven upgrades to its websites, apps, and smart carts. In what ways will artificial intelligence likely reimagine the grocery shopping experience?
Amazon Files More Lawsuits Against Luxury Counterfeiters — But Is It Enough?
Amazon and its Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) are continuing its crusade against fake goods with new two lawsuits. Is Amazon doing enough to combat counterfeit products on its site?
Enhancing Experiences, Elevating Profits: The Role of Customer Insights
All retail experiences should start with the customer. Oftentimes, however, that isn’t the case. What customer problems have you been able to solve that you couldn’t have seen without insights?
Has Ship-From-Store Worked Out All the Kinks?
Many chains are leaning into the omnichannel benefits of in-store inventory by offering ship-from-store capabilities. Do you think store-based fulfillment of digital orders is now offering significantly more benefits than…
Ready To Try on Clothes Virtually at John Lewis Department Stores?
U.K.-based John Lewis has adopted the Zyler AI-powered virtual try-on platform for its clothing rental website. How do you think virtual try-on and AR functions will affect the fashion industry…
Has Omnichannel Retailing Made Malls More Relevant?
A study from Coresight Research found traffic at U.S. shopping malls has strongly recovered to surpass pre-Covid levels. Is talk of “dying shopping malls” an oversimplification, or does it hold…
