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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Is Amazon’s Generative AI Push a Cloud Gamechanger?
Amazon.com’s cloud computing division last week released a suite of generative AI tools that can enable companies to build chatbots, generate and summarize text, and classify images based on a…
Americans Have Money to Spend. Where Will They Spend It?
The retail market today seems strong than it was a year ago, but will it continue to grow? How will consumers spend in a post-pandemic world? The answer: differently.
Does Virtual Fitting Room Tech Discourage Sales?
University research finds virtual fitting rooms aren’t “uniformly positive” for customers, particularly those customers with unhealthy body image perceptions.
Is It Good Business to Allow Associates to Break or Bend Rules for Customers?
In some circumstances, retail employees find the need to go “above and beyond” for customers, sometimes deviating from organizational rules, a move that has been shown to enhance customer loyalty…
Does Nordstrom Rack Need To Rebrand?
Nordstrom Rack, celebrating its 50th anniversary, has rolled out a new logo inspired by the one used in the ‘70s and ‘80s to differentiate the off-price chain from its competitors…
Is Bonobos Better Off Without Walmart?
Bonobos is changing owners again, becoming the property of the brand management firm WHP Global and Express after the companies signed a definitive agreement with Walmart.
Can The Wine Industry Capture Gen-Z And Millennials?
The “State of the U.S. Wine Industry” report from Silicon Valley Bank found that the only growth in the category came from consumers over 60.
Will Wetzel’s Twisted Concept Stand Alone Among Food Competitors?
A new off-mall store concept, Twisted by Wetzel’s, aims to inject creativity and excitement into the Wetzel’s product line and add a catchier look and feel to the experience.
Will Chains Extend Their Retail Dominance Over the Next Five Years?
UBS forecasts that somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 stores will close in the U.S. by 2028, down from its previous forecast of 80,000 locations.
Are Consumers Willing to Wait Longer to Have Their Online Orders Delivered?
How fast do consumers want their online orders delivered? Perhaps not as quickly as retailers think.
Is Shoplifting Killing Store Morale?
A university study finds mandatory policing of shoplifting and other “customer deviant behavior” often produces strong negative emotions in retail associates, leading to perceptions of unfairness and increased turnover.
Do Walmart’s Stores Just Not Fit in Chicago?
Walmart is closing four of the eight stores it operates in Chicago after concluding that it could no longer sustain the losses it has experienced since it opened its first…
Restaurants Have Come Back in Boston. Why Not Retail Stores?
While office workers, tourists, construction workers and others have been filling Boston’s downtown across day parts for food, entertainment and opportunities to socialize, they haven’t returned to retail shopping. We…
Will Amazon Customers Revolt Over Return Fees?
Amazon.com has begun charging return fees on products brought to the UPS Store.
Are Loyal Retail Workers Being Exploited?
A university study finds that loyal workers tend to be exploited by being asked to do unpaid work and additional job tasks where less committed colleagues are not.
Is Livestream Selling a Good Fit For Resale?
Poshmark, the resale marketplace, introduced Posh Shows, enabling users to sell secondhand products via live video from their homes.
Do Conversational AI Chatbots Make Better Sales Non-Associates?
New research finds that 67 percent of ChatGPT users feel understood often or always by the AI bot compared to 25 percent of traditional support chatbot users.
How Much of a Security Risk is ChatGPT?
Samsung employees learned last week that they accidentally leaked sensitive information to the artificial intelligence-powered chat technology Chat GPT.
Why is Walmart Taking up Pickleball?
Walmart has partnered with racquet sports booking platform Break the Love to invite customers and associates to play pickleball,.
Why Are Retail Customers So Angry?
Forty-three percent of Americans have publicly voiced their displeasure about their most serious product and service problem, up from 35 percent in 2015, according to the 2023 National Customer Rage…
The Epic Tale of RetailWire and Its Co-Founders Can Now Be Told
Nearly 22 years after its start, RetailWire’s co-founders are retiring. Help us send them off with well-wishes and many thanks!
