Walmart was at the center of two active shooter events last week in the U.S. and says it could have been worse, had it not been for active shooter training that the retailer requires all associates to go through. How prepared are most retailers for active shooter events in stores?
On July 29, Selfridges opened its Christmas shop at its flagship Oxford Street location in London, claiming again to become the first department store in the world to have a Christmas section this year. Is Selfridges striking the right tone with its early Christmas shop opening?
Starbucks may be fashionable in the U.S., but in Japan the coffee retailer is taking steps into the actual world of fashion with a line of apparel and accessories. Why would or wouldn’t having designer apparel and home goods collections available at the Roastery concept work in the U.S. market?
Why is it employees often see the warning signs of a dying store before owners and managers? Because they see things through the lens of a customer and their own paychecks. What would land on your list of telltale signs that a retail business is failing?
CVS is going national with its CarePass subscription program, which offers free delivery on prescription medicines, over-the-counter remedies and other products with no minimum order, for an annual fee of $48 or $5 a month. Do you expect the results from CVS’ test of CarePass to be replicated on a national level?
The Sock Spot, an online retailer of novelty socks, is looking to broaden its business prospects by moving into physical retail via “automated retail units” (AKA vending machines). Do you see hi-tech vending units as a good way for digital brands to establish physical touchpoints?
Lowe’s is eliminating “thousands” of assembly and maintenance worker jobs and outsourcing them to third-party companies. Will outsourcing assembly and maintenance tasks enable store level associates to spend more time on the sales floor serving customers as Lowe’s has indicated?
The Container Store has opened a new store concept focusing on closet customization, called The Container Store Custom Closets. The first store took the place of an existing Container Store in Los Angeles. Does The Container Store need a separate banner to fully explore the custom closets opportunity?
In early July, Etsy introduced a new program to help sellers offer free shipping to U.S. buyers on orders of $35 or more. But many sellers are balking at the program. How open should Etsy’s sellers be to participating in the free shipping program and its tradeoffs?
For 20 years, Target has been launching limited-edition designer partnerships that have drawn throngs of shoppers to the chain’s stores and large numbers to its website. How do you think Target’s “best of” promotion will come off this time?
