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Will in-store pickup make livestream shopping more attractive to Americans?
Best Buy customers watching its livestream shopping events will now have the option of placing orders for in-store pickup. It marks the first time that pickup is being offered on…
James Bond and retailers look to a new Q in their next chapters
If you watched the most recent James Bond movie, you know how it ended and therefore understand some changes are on the horizon for upcoming features. Retail barcodes are on…
Will Christmas 2022 be the terminal squish of retail’s mushy middle?
Retail’s long-struggling “mushy middle,” consisting of mid-price retailers without a strong value proposition and brand identity, has taken a bigger holiday hit than more strongly differentiated retailers, according to one…
RIP Sears Hometown
Put a fork in it. Sears Hometown is truly done. The company, made up of franchisees currently operating about 100 small stores selling appliances, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden…
Has mental health become a retail marketing issue?
Mental health oriented messaging is quickly becoming table stakes for retailers that cater to next gen consumers. Seventy-one percent of Gen Z consumers like when brands make mental health a…
Macy’s is ‘speechless’ and Wegmans says ‘the more we get together, the happier we will be’
Macy’s and Wegmans are going for the heart strings in round six of the 2022 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. Which one will join Etsy, Kroger, Publix, Amazon.com and Aldi UK…
Will ‘hat-heads’ go for limited edition drops at Lids?
Hat retailer Lids has launched a new store concept called Lids Hat Drop, which will focus on giving customers access to exclusive new products on a weekly basis. Do you…
Is ‘Total Home’ a strategy that Lowe’s can build on?
Lowe’s last week updated its plan to drive market share growth in the home improvement category. The chain’s “Total Home Strategy” seeks to achieve growth across five areas: professional contractors…
Will 2023 become the year that consumers get comfortable with dynamic pricing?
This holiday season has ushered in a period of peak price-sensitivity. Consumers continue to wonder whether or not we’re in a recession, and while spending is continuing on, there’s certainly…
Holiday shoppers have a need for speed
Customers are looking for solutions that get them in and out of the store quickly and effectively this holiday season, according to a new study. How can retailers speed up…
Is Toys ‘R’ Us just playing around with NFTs or serious about the opportunity?
The new Toys “R” Us has been making more innovative, on-trend moves than it did before its most recent relaunch and that now extends to getting involved in Web 3.0. The…
7-Eleven tops best grocery store list
These days, the favorite grocery store in the U.S. is not even a supermarket, a new survey says. Why are more people shopping at 7-Eleven and other convenience stores for…
Did retailers miss a marketing opportunity by sitting out the World Cup broadcasts?
The World Cup has been a missed opportunity for the major players in the retail industry. Only one retailer, Walmart, has created a meaningful, themed campaign to run during the…
Will Amazon’s customers go for its pay-for-data scheme?
Amazon.com is offering to pay some of its customers for access to their data in efforts to improve ad targeting, offering $2 dollars per month to a select group of…
Will Starbucks’ new tipping prompt tick off customers?
Tipping at Starbucks is as voluntary as it is anywhere in the U.S., but a new digital payment solution is now making it tough and awkward to avoid doing so…
Are retailers failing to keep up with the Joneses?
No demographic group is monolithic, and this is particularly true of Baby Boomers whose generation stretches nearly 20 years. And one thing is certain: marketing to early or late Boomers in…
Big Lots is going country
Big Lots is looking to leave the city life behind as it sees plenty of opportunities to grow in places with wide open spaces. Will a greater emphasis on operating…
Will Santa place grocery gift cards under the Christmas tree this year?
Gift cards have become an easy answer for people who want to avoid sticking a gift recipient with an item they have to return. Now thanks to this year’s inflationary…
How far will Wawa follow its followers?
The devotion that Wawa’s customers feel for the convenience store chain has been described as cult-like, and that has inspired the business to follow its devotees into an expanding list…
Forever 21 celebrates its one-year ‘meta-versary’
Forever 21 last week said that it was celebrating its one-year “meta-versary” by launching a fashion collection inspired by its experience operating in the metaverse. Do you see gaming platforms…
Will persistent theft compel Walmart to raise prices or close stores?
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon yesterday told CNBC that his company has a growing theft problem. Mr. McMillon said that theft has reached levels that are “higher than what’s historically been”…
