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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Should Amazon be charging for ‘curated’ toy guide placements?
Amazon.com charged as much as $2 million for brands to be featured in its just-released Holiday Toy List guide. Is paying big money for a toy circular sponsorship in line…
Jungle Jim’s delivers a foodie adventure
Part traditional supermarket, part theme park and part United Nations, a visit to Cincinnati-based Jungle Jim’s International Market is truly an event. Is retailtainment easier or harder for a supermarket…
Have Giant Food and Stop & Shop nailed ‘frictionless’ checkouts?
Retail Business Services, the technology services arm of Ahold Delhaize USA, has announced that its proprietary ScanIt Mobile frictionless checkout technology is being rolled out to nearly 30 of the…
Nearly half of online fashion shoppers say social media inspired their last purchase
Almost half (47.5 percent) of the 2,000 U.S. online fashion shoppers surveyed by Yotpo say their most recent online fashion purchase was inspired by social media. Has social media moved…
Have esports become more than a game for Five Below?
Five Below has teamed with Nerd Street Gamers, an esports infrastructure company that builds facilities known as Localhost that enable gamers to play in live, in-person events using professional level…
Is e-grocery less convenient than shopping in stores?
A Bain & Co. study concludes the reason online penetration remains so low in the grocery category versus others is because in-store shopping is still far more convenient. What parts…
Will debt-free college make Chipotle the place to work in the restaurant biz?
Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced that it is adding a new perk to its employee education benefits package — debt-free college degrees. How important are educational benefits in helping retailers…
Gymboree to get a new start as part of The Children’s Place
Gymboree was an 800-store retail chain before it shuttered all its locations earlier this year. Now, the brand is ready for a comeback, not as a standalone chain, but as…
Does Target need to address its associate morale problem?
CNN reports that it has interviewed 23 current and former employees of Target in recent months who said they actually are bringing home less than they did before the retailer…
Will shoe swapping be the new shoe shopping?
Women looking for new shoes to wear without adding to the collection they have accumulated will now have an option to swap online, thanks to a new Los Angeles-based startup…
UK’s largest sporting goods chain calls for probe of Nike-Adidas dominance
Sports Direct, the UK’s largest sporting goods chain, is calling for a Europe-wide investigation into the dominance of Nike and Adidas in sports retailing. Do retailers have any rights to…
Will customers give Walmart the keys to their homes?
Walmart has announced that it is launching its InHome Delivery program which gives Walmart delivery people access to customers’ garages or homes where they will put refrigerated and frozen products…
Why are grocers still missing the mark with small food brands?
Growth in the food industry lately has come from small brands, despite facing huge market disadvantages. Does the slotting-fee culture in the grocery channel still weigh heavily against smaller brands?
Amazon makes its social positions public
Retail titan Amazon.com has recently released and publicized a list of its stances on political and social issues. Do you think it’s a good idea for companies to enumerate and…
Will Best Buy wrap up Black Friday sales with a price match guarantee in October?
For the first time, Best Buy is launching a promotion on select TVs and home theater products that includes a guarantee basically promising to refund the difference should the price…
Is BOPIS a good fit for Dollar General?
In coming months, Dollar General will become the first dollar store chain to test BOPIS at select stores. The service will initially be offered through the DG GO! mobile app…
REI ventures into drop shipping
REI has become the latest retailer to roll out vendor direct shipments to help expand its online offerings. Does drop shipping make more sense for retailers such as REI and…
Google Shopping gets an upgrade
A redesigned Google Shopping platform went live in the U.S. last week with upgrades to some existing features as well as the introduction of new ones, such as price tracking…
Will Sam’s Club CEO lead Walmart’s U.S. business to greater success?
Walmart announced yesterday that Greg Foran, president and CEO of its U.S. business, is leaving the company and will be replaced by John Furner, who has been the top executive…
Can retail ease automation’s impact on African American workers?
A recent study posits that African Americans will experience a disproportionate negative impact in the coming wave of automation. What might the retail industry to do to brace for technological…
Can Target’s chief merchandising officer turn Bed Bath & Beyond around?
Bed Bath & Beyond has announced that Mark Tritton, chief merchandising officer at Target, will become its new president and chief executive officer on Nov. 4. What do you see…
