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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Should grocers be demanding price decreases from suppliers?
At a virtual meeting in December, Whole Foods implored suppliers to lower costs on packaged groceries as inflation moderates. Do grocers have the leverage it takes to strong-arm their suppliers…
Walmart is closing tech hubs and bringing IT workers back to the office
Walmart is closing three technology hubs and requiring workers to relocate to primary office locations in San Bruno, CA, and at the retailer’s headquarters in Bentonville, AR. Will Walmart’s decision…
Is pay transparency good or bad for retail labor?
California recently passed a law requiring employers with at least 15 workers to include pay ranges in job postings following calls for increased visibility to reduce gender and racial wage…
The best commercial of Super Bowl LVII is…
The broadcast of Super Bowl LVII featured a halftime show by Rihanna. ESPN reports she “crushed her performance.” The same may be true of some of the commercials that aired during…
Is the small neighborhood store ready to be the next big retail trend?
People enjoy working from home so much that going back to the office five days a week is no longer an option. Being home more often, consumers prefer to shop…
Will modest fashion become a mainstream retail opportunity?
American Dream, the mega entertainment and retail complex in East Rutherford, NJ, announced plans to open The Address, billed as “the world’s first modest fashion department store.” Do you see…
Which drives you crazier? ‘Tipflation’ or tip creeping?
Tipping fatigue has been trending as a topic in the media and has sparked angry debates on social media for nearly a year. The arguments now appear to center on…
Lowe’s looks for a win with its first in-store Super Bowl livestream
Lowe’s is the official home improvement retailer of the National Football League. It will also be one place where some customers can go on Sunday to listen to the Super…
Was it a mistake for Instacart to hail its workers as heroes?
Grocery delivery workers were hailed as heroes during the pandemic. However, Instacart’s experience shows how the sudden moralization of work, which is often used to control workers, can backfire, according…
What do Walmart closings say about the viability of pickup-only grocery stores?
Walmart is closing its two pickup- and deliver-only concept stores in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnwood and in Bentonville, AR. What do Walmart’s store closings and new store openings from…
Is retail losing its entrepreneurial spirit?
A new report from small-business lending platform OnDeck finds consulting, finance and technology among the top sectors for creating future business founders. Retailers, by comparison, ranked low. Have the traits…
Instacart enters the competition for in-store scan-and-go
Instacart has become a major part of how many Americans shop for groceries online. Now it is moving ahead with plans to become a fixture of how they shop in…
Will Bed Bath & Beyond’s meme stock move transform its fortunes?
Bed Bath & Beyond is saved, at least for the time being. The retailer issued a press release announcing a deal with Hudson Bay Capital Management that will provide funds…
Footwear brands find wholesale business a better fit than direct-to-consumer
Some of the world’s biggest footwear brands have been backing away from wholesalers’ shelves in favor of DTC channels, but new developments in shoe retailing are signaling that wholesale might…
Are clean rooms the answer to getting around data privacy roadblocks?
While promising to help marketers tap first- and second-party data amid new privacy restrictions, data clean rooms remain sparsely used, according to a new study. What do you think of…
Is brainstorming better done electronically or in-person?
In today’s fast-paced and often remote workplace, the question typically asked is whether or not brainstorming is still an effective approach to ideation and innovation. What do you see as…
2023 could be the year of the recession that never happened
The economic recession of 2023 will not be televised. That’s because it appears unlikely to happen, despite predictions of its inevitability from economists, bankers, analysts and others. What factors do you…
Will Wegmans customers check out smart carts in a big way?
Wegmans last September reluctantly discontinued use of its popular SCAN self-checkout app because thieves were exploiting the technology. The family-owned chain is now testing smart cart technology that they hope…
Stale Amazon grocery stores need a fresh approach
An Amazon Fresh is not coming to a neighborhood near you just yet. The company will delay opening new Fresh stores until it figures out how to differentiate the locations…
Is it time for retailers to pay their managers OT?
A university study concludes businesses, including many retailers, are increasingly giving workers promotions with “fabricated” managerial titles but no wage upgrade to avoid paying them overtime wages. Is there some truth…
Should SMBs trust Gap to handle their logistics?
Gap has formed a partnership with Ware2Go, a UPS-owned digital platform that matches merchants with on-demand available warehouse space and fulfillment services. Do you see more benefits than risks for…
