Difficult customers are nothing new, but social media creators are now seeking to cause trouble in retail stores for the purpose of getting attention on YouTube and other social media outlets. How should retailers deal with pranksters without violating their rights and potentially making matters worse on social media?
Target has sent a letter to suppliers insisting they absorb any costs related to increased tariffs on Chinese-made product. Is Target making a wise move in insisting that suppliers absorb costs tied to the tariff war?
The increasingly acrimonious U.S./China trade war didn’t seem to have an impact on the opening of Costco’s first store in China earlier this week. In fact, the first location was so slammed that it had to close early on its first day to prevent pandemonium. Why do you think Costco received such a strong initial reception in China?
While some stores are partnering with or launching their own rental subscription services, Lord & Taylor, America’s oldest department store, is being bought by one. Does a fashion rental subscription service have any advantage in bringing advanced personalization techniques to the department store model?
Executive coach Jerry Colonna wants managers to stop focusing on output and achievement. Instead, he wants them to engage in radical self-inquiry, which builds the maturity required for leaders to lift up others, not just themselves. Do the skills that help individuals initially succeed often become detrimental with greater leadership roles?
Amazon has launched Sold by Amazon (SBA), currently in beta, a program that lets Amazon control the prices on enrolled FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) products in exchange for a guaranteed minimum payout to sellers. Do you see more benefits than drawbacks of Sold by Amazon for third-party sellers on the platform?
All the innovation in the world isn’t going to help if you don’t know what that one special thing is that consumers want from you. Sometimes, retailers need to go back to look at the value proposition. Have retailers tended to lose focus on their core value propositions as they invested more in innovation in recent years?
Starbucks started referring to itself as a “third place” away from home or the office some time ago. Caribou Coffee, however, is now launching a concept that caters exclusively to those who don’t want to stick around. How would you rate the pros and cons of a no-seating coffee concept such as Caribou Cabins?
Customers want the convenience of having things shipped to them, but that creates a lot of excess garbage in the form of packaging. Now a startup is trying to reconcile that in the food space by providing all of its products in compostable packaging. Can an online grocer like Rise Mrkt succeed, or will the avoidance of plastic packaging limit its potential?
Nordstrom has become the first U.S.-based multi-line fashion retailer to offer an online shopping microsite dedicated to sustainable fashion. Do you see healthy consumer appeal for Nordstrom’s online portal focused on sustainable products?
