Bed Bath & Beyond is saved, at least for the time being. The retailer issued a press release announcing a deal with Hudson Bay Capital Management that will provide funds for a public offering of its stock. Did Bed Bath & Beyond have any choice but to lean into its meme stock status to obtain funds from Hudson Bay Capital Management after banks took a pass?
Some of the world’s biggest footwear brands have been backing away from wholesalers’ shelves in favor of DTC channels, but new developments in shoe retailing are signaling that wholesale might prove to be a better fit. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Nike and other footwear brands that have focused much of their resources on direct-to-consumer channels?
While promising to help marketers tap first- and second-party data amid new privacy restrictions, data clean rooms remain sparsely used, according to a new study. What do you think of the potential as well as the challenges of using data clean rooms to help marketers transition from third-party cookies for targeting?
In today’s fast-paced and often remote workplace, the question typically asked is whether or not brainstorming is still an effective approach to ideation and innovation. What do you see as the benefits and drawbacks of electronic versus in-person brainstorming?
The economic recession of 2023 will not be televised. That’s because it appears unlikely to happen, despite predictions of its inevitability from economists, bankers, analysts and others. What factors do you think will have the greatest impact on retail industry performance for the balance of 2023?
Wegmans last September reluctantly discontinued use of its popular SCAN self-checkout app because thieves were exploiting the technology. The family-owned chain is now testing smart cart technology that they hope can replace the SCAN app without the security concerns that came with it. Will self-checkout technology become a more prominent feature in retail stores over the next five years?
An Amazon Fresh is not coming to a neighborhood near you just yet. The company will delay opening new Fresh stores until it figures out how to differentiate the locations from established competitors in the market. How do you evaluate Amazon’s strengths and weaknesses in the grocery vertical?
A university study concludes businesses, including many retailers, are increasingly giving workers promotions with “fabricated” managerial titles but no wage upgrade to avoid paying them overtime wages. Is there some truth that businesses, including retailers, fabricate manager titles to avoid overtime pay?
Gap has formed a partnership with Ware2Go, a UPS-owned digital platform that matches merchants with on-demand available warehouse space and fulfillment services. Do you see more benefits than risks for smaller brands and retailers in outsourcing logistics and fulfillment to Gap and other retailers?
Ahold-Delhaize USA, the company behind Food Lion, Fresh Direct, Giant, The Giant Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop, is among those that has structured its business to make sure that the humans behind the technological tools it uses are in a position to do the most good. What is the proper role of information technology in the strategic planning process for retail organizations today?
