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Walmart Drone Delivery Breakthrough Incoming 99%
After a successful three-store pilot program, Walmart drone delivery has launched in a handful of markets, with plans to expand soon to six states. How confident are you that drone…
Will DSW’s owned brand push pay off?
Designer Brands Inc., the parent of DSW, recently set a goal to double sales of its owned brands in response to direct-to-consumer efforts by national brands. Its acquisition earlier this…
Will Amazon’s antitrust battles get worse before they get better?
Amazon has made several commitments related to business practices in Europe as part of settlement over alleged unfair treatment of third-party sellers. Do Amazon’s concessions under the European Union settlement…
Just Walk Out – Just in time or just too soon?
Amazon recently installed Just Walk Out (JWO) at a grocery retailer it does not own for the first time. 2023 will see even more buzz around the technology. Do you…
Should Barnes & Noble shift back to store-expansion mode?
Barnes & Noble looks to have stabilized and now plans to expand its store footprint next year, even amid an unpredictable economic landscape. The book seller will debut 30 new…
SPAR Ireland is all about ‘finding Christmas’ and Walmart looks at ‘all the ways we holiday’
The year 2022 has been a big one for grocery stores in the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. This week’s matchup pits SPAR Ireland, the largest convenience store chain in the…
Does Walmart Self-Checkout Make Harmful Theft Easy?
As theft from stores continues to be a big problem for Walmart, one report says both employees and customers are pointing to one factor as a particular enabler for shoplifters…
Is holiday music torturing retail workers?
At least three Change.org petitions are seeking to ban a holiday hit. One implored the FCC to prohibit the song from playing in retail corridors and on the radio called…
Where are all the retail ad dollars going?
If only the legendary merchant John Wanamaker was alive today and using digital media. He’d have less cause to say, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the…
Is porch piracy a retailer responsibility?
Since November 23, Tom Ryan has been receiving weekly email warnings about package theft at his apartment building in New York City. The notes read, “The holidays are approaching and…
Would Kroger’s smart apron calm your holiday cooking anxieties?
Marking its first-ever wearable-tech product, Kroger has developed a smart Holiday Apron that taps all five human senses to reduce the stress of holiday cooking. The apron supports an influencer-led…
Is the clock ticking on TikTok?
TikTok is facing restrictions in some U.S. states, with some government figures pushing for more comprehensive, and even federal, bans, with big implications for brands and retailers promoting content on…
Will Walmart throw high-price suppliers off the shelf?
Inflation has become enough of an issue to rattle Walmart’s everyday low price positioning and the chain is considering taking a drastic move that may keep its customers happy, but…
‘Just in time’ and ‘just in case’ systems leave retailers with too much inventory
Too many retailers had the bad habit of over-buying long before the pandemic created the supply chain chaos we are still living through. “Just in time” systems failed to prevent…
Can Express find success teaming up with Toys ‘R’ Us’ owner?
Express is one of many apparel brands struggling to find new relevance without the draw they once enjoyed during the heyday of the shopping mall. Now the brand is entering…
Will Super Saturday be the most super ever?
Tomorrow is going to be a big day for retail, perhaps the biggest. A record number of consumers are expected to go shopping tomorrow (AKA Super Saturday), according to a forecast…
Will in-store pickup make livestream shopping more attractive to Americans?
Best Buy customers watching its livestream shopping events will now have the option of placing orders for in-store pickup. It marks the first time that pickup is being offered on…
James Bond and retailers look to a new Q in their next chapters
If you watched the most recent James Bond movie, you know how it ended and therefore understand some changes are on the horizon for upcoming features. Retail barcodes are on…
Will Christmas 2022 be the terminal squish of retail’s mushy middle?
Retail’s long-struggling “mushy middle,” consisting of mid-price retailers without a strong value proposition and brand identity, has taken a bigger holiday hit than more strongly differentiated retailers, according to one…
RIP Sears Hometown
Put a fork in it. Sears Hometown is truly done. The company, made up of franchisees currently operating about 100 small stores selling appliances, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden…
Has mental health become a retail marketing issue?
Mental health oriented messaging is quickly becoming table stakes for retailers that cater to next gen consumers. Seventy-one percent of Gen Z consumers like when brands make mental health a…
