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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
While Retail Sales Saw a Strong First Half of 2025, Will ‘Cracks Starting To Show’ Worsen in Months To Come?
Retail sales have shown strength in the first half of 2025. Will that trend continue?
Does Bath & Body Works’ College Play Make Sense?
Bath & Body Works is coming to a campus near you. Will this gambit pay off?
How Can Brands Attract New Customers Without Alienating Existing Ones?
Brands are locked in a perpetual struggle to retain, and yet gain, customers. How can they attract new customers without alienating existing ones?
How Can Retailers Navigate Social Commerce, Platform Dominance, and Emerging Trust Challenges To Drive Sustainable Growth?
Retailers are competing in a market which is exhibiting unprecedented change. How can businesses remain relevant and profitable?
Do IKEA Shops Work Inside Best Buy?
IKEA is partnering with Best Buy, placing small shops inside the latter’s brick-and-mortar locations. Will this partnership work?
Will Tariffs Derail Consumer Electronics Sales Recovery?
Citing signs of consumers trading down, Circana reduced its forecast for consumer electronics sales for the year to a gain of 1% from 1.6% previously. In January, the Consumer Technology…
Walgreens Thinks the Grass Is Greener in Private Equity: What Happens Next for Retail, Beauty, and Pharmacy?
Walgreens is going private. What signals does this send?
Is Gen X Actually an Overlooked Consumer Cohort?
With headlines concerning the retail sphere — and the broader business world at large — so often referencing “younger Americans,” namely millennials and members of Gen X, one question could…
Does American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney Campaign Deserve the Backlash?
American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney denim ad drew backlash for sexualization and racial undertones; some dismiss the outcry as overblown.
Is the Sky the Limit for Tractor Supply?
Tractor Supply appears to be enjoying great success as of late. Will its upward trajectory continue?
Is There a Future For the Fashion Rental Business?
Fashion rental, as a retail business, has had a rocky history. Is there a future for this segment?
Are MAP Policies Bad for Consumers?
A Pennsylvania resident is suing several archery sellers, alleging their use of minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policies constitutes price fixing. Are MAP Policies Bad for Consumers?
What Can Be Done To Curtail Organized Cargo Theft?
Organized cargo theft presents a major loss issue for businesses, including retail. What can be done to address this rising concern?
What’s the Secret Sauce to Associate Training?
Bluemercury spends several days training store associates ahead of a new store opening, including conducting skill-based scenario selling. “We will run a scenario, like, ‘Susie is walking in and asks…
Will Toy Shortages Ruin Christmas?
Toy vendors and their retail partners are playing it safe and keeping inventories lean amid tariff uncertainty, raising the likelihood of toy shortages for the holiday selling season. ”It’s a…
Are ‘Just Keep It’ Return Policies Loyalty Builders?
“Just keep it” return policies, or returnless returns, are a controversial retail practice. Do they actually build loyalty?
Can Competitors Sway Customers Away From Walmart, Amazon, and Target This Back-to-School Shopping Season?
Walmart, Amazon, and Target appear to have something of a stranglehold on BTS spend. Can competitors wrest market share away?
Is Shopper Deception Worse Online Than Offline?
Shoppers may be subjected to a number of potentially dishonest or deceptive practices from retailers. Is the frequency or scope worse online or offline?
Will Retail Therapy as a Form of Self-Care Become Even More Popular in the Future?
Emotional spending, or retail therapy, is a major factor in many Americans’ lives. Will BNPL push the practice to new heights?
Do Tweens Want To Shop at Walmart?
Walmart has introduced Weekend Academy, a budget-conscious collection aimed at the often-fickle tween customer. Walmart said in a press release, “The assortment was designed with today’s tweens in mind, offering…
Do Fashion Retailers Who Ignore Apparel Resale’s Evolution Risk Obsolescence?
Fashion retail could be seeing a growing threat from resale platforms. Are those who don’t acknowledge and integrate this channel doing so at their own risk?
