For the second year in a row, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day are within days of each other, posing challenges for grocers’ marketing teams. How should grocers thread the needle to promote both the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day during the same time period?
Tom Kingsbury is no longer the interim CEO of Kohl’s. The company yesterday confirmed earlier reports by formally announcing that Mr. Kingsbury has been named to the position on a permanent basis while continuing to serve on its board of directors. What do you think Tom Kingsbury needs to do as he takes on the Kohl’s CEO role on a permanent basis?
New Orleans-based PJ’s Coffee is offering franchise opportunities to open up coffee shops inside high schools with the foremost purpose of providing vocational skills to students. What do you think of retailers opening stores inside high schools to provide class-accredited business skills to students?
On January 19, Bloomberg published an article entitled, “Fake Meat Was Supposed to Save the World. It Became Just Another Fad.” On January 22, Impossible Foods took out a full-page ad in The New York Times and posted a blog entry vigorously defending plant-based meat. Do you applaud Impossible Foods’ response to the Bloomberg article or was it unnecessary and counterproductive?
Consumer brands often feel as if they have little choice when it comes to purchasing ads from retail media networks, according to a new survey of its members by the Association of National Advertisers. How does consumer brand spending on retail media networks compare to other types of trading partner spending?
Ron Margulis thinks that if a technology company could capture the essence of a merchant in every sense of the word, they would have something truly unique to offer food retailers. A genie in a retail bottle. What technology innovations can best help supermarket operators engage their customers?
In an open letter last week, McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger blasted proposed California legislation related to conditions for fast food workers as stemming “almost entirely at the behest of organized labor’s firm grip on many of the state’s lawmakers.” Have public perceptions changed to the point where retailers need to be more open to working with unions?
Pacsun last week announced that Brie Olson, president and a member of the retailer’s board of directors, will be appointed co-CEO, effective March 9, replacing Alfred Chang, who is stepping down. Do you see the Pacsun co-CEO leadership model as something that has uniquely worked for the company or an example for other retailers looking to improve their performance?
Amazon Prime members who have gotten their groceries delivered for free with a minimum purchase of $35 will now have to spend at least $150 if they want to avoid paying a fee starting on February 28. How do you expect Prime members will react to Amazon’s new requirements for free grocery delivery?
Generation Alpha may be about to take over as the biggest disruptor of retail as members of the youngest generation enter their teenage years. What advice would you have for retailers or brands about preparing for the emergence of Generation Alpha as consumers?
