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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Will the ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ model overcome economic and regulatory challenges?
“Buy Now, Pay Later” services saw explosive adoption as e-commerce upshifted into a higher gear during the pandemic, but are now facing questions over their sustainability. Are rising interest rates,…
Grocers and food brands take older consumers for granted
A recent opinion column from AARP Media noted that though the over-50 crowd buys 54 percent of all groceries in the U.S., older consumers remain “often-overlooked” by food marketers. Do…
Can Walmart roll back inflation?
Walmart got Wall Street’s attention yesterday after it lowered its profit outlook for the second quarter and the full year. Do you think markdowns by Walmart, Target and other large…
Will marketers hit a home run or strike out with MLB’s uniform ads?
Major League Baseball last week revealed it is moving ahead with plans to place advertising on uniforms for the 2023 season, leaving the National Football League the last remaining major…
Best Buy offers a new way to shop with its first-ever digital-first small box store
Best Buy is today opening a new digital-first, small box store concept that it believes will change the way consumers shop for the products it sells. Do you expect customers…
Will Target’s ‘stores-as-hubs’ strategy get turbocharged by sortation centers?
Target wants to speed up its fulfillment of online orders using local stores to get the job done. The retailer yesterday said it is adding three new sortation centers over…
How important are founders to brand authenticity?
A university study finds that, although brand essence, or authenticity, ideally comes through an association with the creator, one other proxy to measure essence is the recipe and manufacturing process…
When will supply chains return to normal?
While congestion has lessened at West Coast ports, global supply chain disruption may linger for years due to economic conditions, rising inflation and global tensions, according to a survey. When…
Lowe’s gives full-time store staff the option of a four-day work week
Lowe’s is giving full-time workers in its stores the choice to schedule four-day work weeks. The home improvement made the decision after its five-day schedule left many associates complaining about…
Are digital-only coupons discriminatory against the elderly and poor?
Many grocers find numerous advantages in emphasizing digital coupons. The digital shift, however, may be limiting access to coupons to technologically-challenged older and lower-income Americans. Do you agree that digital-only…
Is Amazon on the verge of reinventing American healthcare?
Amazon yesterday said that it has reached a deal to acquire One Medical, a “technology-powered national primary care organization” that combines in-person, digital and telehealth services to care for patients…
Are Millennials the reason that inflation is so high?
The movement of the massive Millennial generation into peak spending patterns is playing a major role in driving inflation, at least according to one investor. Do you agree that the…
Study says health labels get shrugs from shoppers
These days, products on the grocery shelves and items on menus in fast food and fast casual restaurants usually have some sort of health label. However, a new study finds…
Does Walgreens have the right response to defuse growing calls to boycott the chain?
Walgreens has a public perception issue to deal with after recent encounters with store staff led customers to go public with the ill treatment they received in the chain’s stores…
Macy’s keeps going small and off-mall
Macy’s is not anchoring itself to malls any longer. The department store retailer said it will open four new small, off-mall stores as part of a multiyear strategy to reinvent…
Should career retention efforts focus more on ‘squiggling’?
Managers, in order to reduce turnover, need to shift the focus of career conversations from promotion to progression and developing in different directions, according to a new article. Is offering…
Will more Americans make e-grocery delivery a weekly habit?
Online grocery shopping is a weekly habit of a segment of the population, according to a new study. What do the weekly use statistics for delivery and pickup mean for…
Amazon goes after thousands of fake review groups on Facebook
Amazon.com yesterday filed lawsuits against the administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook groups that it says recruited people to post fake reviews on its site in exchange for money or…
Have performance marketing costs made DTC too pricey for brands to pursue?
Changing customer acquisition strategies was a big area of discussion last week at The Lead Innovation Summit in Brooklyn, NY, particularly as it relates to direct-to-consumer (DTC) performance marketing. Have…
Is luxury retail’s sweet spot?
The latest “Saks Luxury Pulse” survey finds higher-income consumers continuing to spend on luxury despite record inflation and a plunging stock market. What do you think is driving the apparent…
Will Toys“R”Us kids help Macy’s have a very merry Christmas?
Every Macy’s will soon have a Toys“R”Us shop inside. The two retailers yesterday said that the toy shops will begin opening later this month, locating one in every Macy’s department store…
