A recent survey set out to find which brand mascots stuck in consumers’ memories most strongly, and discovered some interesting trends in the process. Is it more or less important for a brand or retailer to have a mascot in 2019 than it was in the past?
The trade war got uglier Friday as President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs higher and ordered U.S. companies to exit China after Beijing unveiled retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion in U.S. goods. What are the obvious and less obvious repercussions retail may feel from the escalating trade war?
Target reached an agreement to introduce in-store Disney shops. The partnership also includes a Disney-themed online microsite and a Target store opening inside Walt Disney World. Do you see the hook-up between Target and Disney as an equal win for both companies?
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?
