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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Did Target just move Black Friday up to October 7?
Christmas creep is dead. Retailers moving their holiday promotions up from Thanksgiving Day week is now just business as usual. It is for Target, which announced it that it’s running…
FTC commissioner says it’s time to enforce the Robinson-Patman Act
Independent grocers and pharmacies may have found the ally they are looking for. Alvaro Bedoya, commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission said that the current imbalance that favors large businesses…
Is an influencer a legit career?
Many young adults are aspiring to become social media influencers as a career, although the income potential remains questionable. Has social media influencer marketing proved itself as a career worth…
Did Walmart just guarantee it will be the easiest place to shop for Christmas?
Walmart is known for its low prices and the retailer seems determined to also be synonymous with convenient holiday shopping with new programs that promise to take much of the…
Should CPG brands cast their DTC businesses in a supporting role to stores?
It appears there’s been a significant tide turn for consumer packaged goods brands in the direct to consumer selling versus retailer distribution debate as marked by a consensus among presenters…
The Starbucks experience aims to be the same no matter where you get your coffee
Visitors to Starbucks locations inside some retailers will soon be able to order ahead via mobile, not to mention earn rewards points, just as they do when they visit standalone…
Gap is cutting 500 corporate jobs as it searches for a CEO and answers
Gap Inc. is cutting 500 corporate jobs as it continues to search for a permanent CEO and it seeks to come up with answers to buoy its top and bottom…
Will electronic carts help Kroger fulfill curbside pickup orders more quickly?
Kroger is introducing a temperature-controlled electronic cart to speed up its curbside fulfillment. What do you see as the biggest challenges that retailers face with curbside pickup and how can…
Do grocers need a new approach for selling plant-based protein alternatives?
The growth in plant-based foods is not being driven by vegans or vegetarians, but consumers who want to eat less meat and dairy for health or planetary reasons. New to…
Is livestream commerce about to break through?
In an article for Harvard Business Review, a Wharton marketing professor argues that livestream commerce is fast becoming the medium of choice for online shopping, but technology and marketing’s learning curve…
Are biases still holding back marketing analytics?
Gartner predicts that by 2023, 60 percent of CMOs will slash the size of their marketing analytics department in half because of “failed promised improvements.” The “root” cause of the…
JCPenney’s beauty makeover is going chain-wide
Sephora’s shops inside of JCPenney stores are long gone with the beauty retailer having found a new home inside of Kohl’s. Penney, for its part, has moved on with a…
Amazon to give marketplace sellers greater email access to its platform’s users
Amazon.com introduced a new “Tailored Audiences” tool that allows sellers on its platform to send emails to repeat customers, recent customers and high-spend customers at the Amazon Accelerate conference last week…
Will Patagonia’s ownership help save the planet and its retail business?
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard announced last week that he is giving away his company to combat climate change. Did Yvon Chouinard have better options than to transfer ownership of Patagonia to a…
Dollar General plans to expand its selection of $1 items
Dollar General says it is not abandoning the pricing on its selection of $1 products, even as inflation continues to drive retail prices up nationwide. How important is the $1 price…
Where is Starbucks’ NFT odyssey heading?
Starbucks is revamping its loyalty program and working an NFT platform into the mix, although it is not using that acronym to describe its digital art offerings. Do you see…
Were Crazy Eddie’s commercials pure genius or insanely awful?
A new best-selling book, “Retail Gangster: The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie” is bringing back nostalgia for the long-gone electronics chain’s abrasive yet memorable commercials. Are Crazy Eddie’s television…
Will upgraded virtual try-on tech get more Walmart shoppers to say yes to the dress?
Walmart says it is leveling up its virtual try-on technology in an effort to put its customers in clothing that fits their bodies right off the rack. Will Walmart’s upgraded…
Will on-the-job training become a new norm in CEO succession planning?
Lands’ End earlier this week said it had concluded its search for a new CEO with the hiring of American Eagle Outfitters president, international, Andrew McLean, who won’t take over…
Will climate change make supply chain disasters the new normal?
Forty-four percent of chief supply chain officers say they have a general sense of potential climate change risks based on previous events, but they have not methodically identified or quantified…
Walmart and other retailers are canceling billions of dollars in orders
Walmart, Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s are among retailers that have recently said they are canceling some orders to better balance inventory levels, a replay of a strategy used at the…
