The “Annual State of Shipping Study” from UPS Capital, UPS’s financing arm, finds porch piracy, fraud and climate-related issues to be the top emerging threats facing online delivery. Which of the three threats facing online delivery will be the toughest to overcome?
Walgreens is eliminating task-based metrics for pharmacy staff as part of performance reviews in order to place an “even greater focus on patient care and outcomes.” Do you think task-based metrics do more to incentivize or stress out retail workers?
The hot costume picks for Halloween have shifted away from generic staples (sexy cats, spooky witches) toward pop culture references, making choosing the right mix a more hair-rising effort for merchants. What do you think have been the most important factors driving the choice of Halloween costumes in 2022?
Abercrombie & Fitch customers can now place orders online and pick their purchases up at Walgreens. (Walgreens?) Is a suite of fulfillment options like those offered by Abercrombie & Fitch important for retailers operating either standalone or mall-based stores?
Target is expanding its partnership with Apple so that more people looking for Apple products at the general merchandise retailer can have an experience closer to what they would get at the Apple store. Do you see the Apple at Target concept going chainwide at some point?
Ulta Beauty faced boycott threats last week after featuring a star trans influencer in a video. An episode of “The Beauty Of…” podcast featured a TikTok star being interviewed by a gender-fluid hairdresser, about ‘the good, the bad and the silly moments that come with finding girlhood.’ How will Ulta’s and Sephora’s support of the trans community affect their businesses?
Bed Bath & Beyond’s search for a CEO is over. The retailer yesterday said that it has named Sue Gove as president and chief executive officer of the company. Ms. Gove has been the retailer’s interim CEO since June when she replaced Mark Tritton. Does Sue Gove have the right plan in place to turn Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. around?
Amazon on Tuesday said that it is adding the Venmo peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service to the options it provides shoppers purchasing goods from its platform. Where do you see the P2P market in the U.S heading and what will it mean for retailers and consumer direct brands?
A university study finds homeowners are increasingly influenced by home improvement media, leading to continuing anxiety about whether their homes are measuring up to standards. How has the popularity of home improvement television, magazines and blogs influenced home renovation projects?
Adidas yesterday ended its partnership with Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, following a series of antisemitic remarks he has made recently in multiple forums. Will the Adidas brand be negatively affected by what some saw as a a slow response to Ye’s antisemitic comments?
