The pop-up shop is the ultimate expression of a trend whereby retailers reach beyond their stores and put themselves in front of consumers instead of waiting for them to show up at a store. It’s also much more than that. Is it time for retailers to create a tech strategy for pop-up shops?
Seventy-four percent of U.S. business economists expect a recession to hit the U.S. by the end of 2021, according to a survey by the National Association for Business Economics. How does the current health of retail in the U.S. compare to where the industry was before the start of the Great Recession?
Whole Foods has been among the retail industry leaders when it comes to introducing plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products. But CEO John Mackey is not a fan of meatless meat. Does Mr. Mackey’s assessment of the nutritional value of plant-based meat alternatives undermine Whole Foods’s strategy to sell these products?
A major development in retail has been direct-to-consumer brands opening stores to leverage the advantages of brick-and-mortar. Recent research, however, reveals that in the CPG space, direct-to-consumer brands are going wholesale rather than opening their own locations. What are the ups and downs are of big CPGs acquiring digital native brands?
7-Eleven knows that its customers in New York City are on the go, and the chain is looking to speed them on their way with the introduction of mobile checkouts at its stores in Manhattan. How important is checkout speed to the success of convenience stores?
Customer satisfaction levels in the U.S. pharmacy industry are high and that is largely due to interactions with pharmacists, according to a study released earlier this week. Do you think the need for face-to-face interactions with pharmacists and pharmacy staff will increase or decrease in the future?
Groupon, the beleaguered daily deals website, has officially launched a rewards program to increase engagement and repeat purchase rates. Are Groupon’s loyalty program and card-linked deals an improvement over its traditional voucher-driven offerings from merchants?
The relationship between Kroger and Walgreens is going to the next level. The two retail giants have announced plans to expand a pilot program that places Kroger Express store-within-a-store shops inside Walgreens to 35 more locations. Where do you see the Kroger/Walgreens pilot program going?
When large organizations launch digital transformation initiatives, it is often believed that integrating new technology with existing systems poses the biggest challenge. But grappling with organizational culture presents a bigger problem. What advice would you have for nurturing a culture that adapts more readily to new technology?
Kids have always had ways of coaxing their parents into buying them stuff. Now, young students also have the force of social media influencers behind them, and the added peer pressure seems to be working. What role should retailers and brands take in harnessing the power of social media influencers on back-to-school sales?
