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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Amazon goes shopping at the mall
Amazon has been on a buying spree, further proof that Americans have changed their shopping habits in recent years and since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. But what…
Can the luxury industry be inclusive and exclusive at the same time?
The luxury market has made progress with diversity councils, chief diversity officers and special programs for underrepresented groups. But the definition of luxury seems contrary to equality, raising questions about…
What will 80,000 closed stores mean for America’s retailers?
Headlines that echo forecasts of thousands of stores closing their doors over the next five years seem alarming on the surface, but perhaps it’s a sign of different things —…
Associates are starring in retailer ad campaigns
For the 22nd year, ShopRite associates will be featured on limited-edition Cheerios boxes to recognize their efforts fighting hunger in their local communities. Do you see significantly more advantages in…
Will consumers immerse themselves in Dick’s new experiential concept stores?
Dick’s Sporting Goods has announced the grand opening of its House of Sport experiential concept store. The new store will provide a variety of experiences for various sports both inside and…
Should Amazon open clearance stores?
Amazon.com was considering opening a clearance concept selling unsold inventory of home goods and electronics at steep discounts prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic, reports Bloomberg. What do you think…
Is Harry’s on its way to joining the ranks of big CPG companies?
Harry’s, after seeing its acquisition by Edgewell fall apart just before the pandemic, raised $155 million in new funding with plans to build a suite of consumer packaged goods companies. …
The Suez Canal incident offered retailers and brands a supply chain lesson
The world learned a tough physics lesson after the 1,312-foot-long container ship, Ever Given, ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking a shipping lane that handles some 12 percent of the…
Kroger CEO says no one has the ‘data and insights’ that it has
Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen, who often speaks of “competitive moats” that Kroger has established, is a firm believer that the retailer’s data and insights enable it to outperform its rivals…
What will travel’s potential recovery mean for tourist retail?
Travel retailer Hudson announced plans to open six stores in the new Virgin Hotels Las Vegas as domestic air travel has recently been showing signs of making a comeback. Do…
How can word-of-mouth marketing feel less transactional?
A university study finds marketing perks can foster word-of-mouth without being used as explicit incentives, although it depends on how they’re framed and perceived. Do you agree that financial incentives…
Do consumers see brand activism as genuine or simply pandering?
A survey from Piplsay finds 69 percent of Americans continue to expect brands to take a stand on social issues, but opinions appear mixed on how far they want brands…
Will a ‘skyscraper’ store change how groceries are delivered in cities?
Grocery stores that manage their back-end operations with busy hives of robots have gone from speculative fiction to reality. One recent entry into the space has made headlines with its…
Best Buy sets up its associates to test themselves for COVID-19
Best Buy is now offering at-home COVID-19 tests for workers who may have been exposed to the virus in the chain’s stores and warehouses. Should every chain retailer have a…
Where will ‘disruptive innovation’ take the retail business?
Many believe that Clayton M. Christensen’s theory of “disruptive innovation” is one of, if not the most, important business ideas of the current century. Where do you think disruptive innovation…
Chewy takes a bigger bite out of the pet products market
Chewy reported its first quarterly profit yesterday and is looking for big things ahead as market trends and forecasts all appear to be going its way. Are Chewy’s 2020 results…
Can Google become a legit alternative to Amazon for sellers (and buyers)?
Google over the last year has been shifting to build an “Anti-Amazon of E-Commerce” for sellers, according to a New York Times profile. The obvious hurdle for Google, however, is…
Nike says goodbye to more longtime wholesale partners
Nike reportedly plans to stop selling to six additional wholesale accounts as it increasingly emphasizes direct-to-consumer commerce and exits “undifferentiated” wholesale accounts. Is Nike at risk of no longer reaching…
Will Bed Bath & Beyond achieve its omni-always dream with its latest digital-first moves?
The term “omni-always” has been one of the core talking points used by Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Mark Tritton and his leadership team ever since he moved to the…
Are remote controlled robots ready to deliver for grocers and drugstores?
Automated grocery delivery is a retail technology that suddenly found itself with a more robust use case as the novel coronavirus pandemic made customers prioritize contact-free transactions in the interest…
King Soopers: Killed in the line of retail duty
Retail’s front line faces an angry, vocal minority that abuses associates simply because workers cannot fight back. Have “the customer is always right” programs in retail allowed confrontations with associates…
