Amazon has introduced Amazon Explore, which allows consumers to virtually take classes, tour exotic places and (surprise, surprise) shop at exotic locales. Do you think virtual shopping at faraway locales will hold appeal for American consumers?

Amazon, which came under criticism and scrutiny over safety measures it took early in the COVID-19 pandemic, announced that 19,816 of its frontline workers were diagnosed with the virus between March 1 and September 19. What is your reaction to Amazon’s decision to release data about COVID-19 infections among its frontline workers?

Facial recognition and other forms of biometric ID have proven controversial. Yet Amazon is going live with a test of a biometric solution that will let customers pay by palm in select Amazon Go stores. Will we reach a point when using biometrics to pay at a store is widely accepted?

The CDC wants Americans who have made Black Friday an annual event to stay far away from the mall and retail stores this year. Will earlier promotions, recent changes in consumer shopping behavior and social distancing/face covering measures dramatically reduce crowds in stores this holiday season?

Amazon Prime delivery shoppers are reportedly crowding aisles, emptying shelves, ignoring safety rules and bothering busy associates as they scurry around Whole Foods stores fulfilling online orders. Do you see the increased presence of pick and pack shoppers in aisles putting a bigger strain on associates or customers in stores?

Amazon’s smart security subsidiary, Ring, last week at its virtual hardware event launched a flying indoor security camera that is becoming the latest product to set off privacy alarms. Are the privacy concerns surrounding Ring Always Home Cam justified?

With the elevated environmental risks posed by this year’s hurricane and wildfire seasons in the U.S. as a backdrop, Walmart, Amazon.com and REI this week launched major climate change initiatives. How large a role will retailers and the overall consumer products industry likely play in helping to highlight and battle climate change?

The pandemic has forced changes on how we live, how we shop and now it seems it could impact how we build houses. The home of the future might be built with e-commerce in mind.  Will rooms in homes dedicated to receiving e-commerce packages become popular enough to change how deliveries are made in the U.S.?

When it rolls out a new service, Amazon gets a great deal of attention. The trouble is that rival retailers often find themselves on the defensive even if they already offer similar, or better, benefits. How can traditional retailers, particularly grocers, best improve their supply chains to compete with Amazon?

A potential blockbuster national shopping holiday event, 10.10, and Amazon.com’s aggressive moves are providing more evidence that the holiday season will gain a significant jumpstart in October. What impact do you expect Prime Day, 10.10 and individual retailer sales promotions to have on Christmas holiday sales and fulfillment this year?

Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey says the chain and its parent company (Amazon.com) are serious about ridding the grocery chain of its “Whole Paycheck” image.  Is being perceived as price-competitive a necessity for Whole Foods to continue growing its store footprint nationally?

The first Amazon Fresh grocery store is officially open to the public , and the retailer is promising low everyday prices across the store, “delicious prepared foods” and a choice between traditional checkouts and a cashier-free experience. What will be the keys to success for the Amazon Fresh grocery store concept?

Amazon.com has launched an online store-within-a-store concept — Luxury Stores — with the goal of establishing itself as a major player in the luxury fashion, beauty and accessories market. Will Amazon’s Luxury Stores disrupt the luxury fashion and beauty business?

With a tagline “Shop Brooklyn, Not Bezos,” Cinch Market is a newer online marketplace aggregating the inventory of local Brooklyn businesses to support same-day delivery. What do you see as the potential pros and cons of the Cinch Market business model?

Walmart has launched a drone pilot program to test on-demand delivery in North Carolina, the state where the Wright brothers first took flight with their powered aircraft in 1903.  Does Walmart’s drone test signal that the timetable for making deliveries in this way is being substantially moved up?

Amazon.com could be entering a new phase of its e-grocery business as it opens its first dark store dedicated to Whole Foods’ e-grocery fulfillment. What should it signal to retailers that Amazon considers a dedicated dark store to be a good strategic move for Whole Foods?

The FAA approved Amazon Prime Air as an official “air carrier” last week, enabling the company to get its commercial drone delivery program off the ground in the U.S.  How quickly do you expect widespread drone deliveries in the U.S. to take off?

Amazon.com’s Prime Day, which traditionally takes place in July, is expected this year to land in October, possibly jumpstarting or rivaling holiday campaigns.  How disruptive might Prime Day be to holiday selling, and what difference would an early October vs. November date make?

Amazon.com last week introduced Halo, a combination fitness tracker, app and subscription service, taking on Fitbit, Apple Watch and others while possibly building on Amazon’s ambitions in the healthcare space. Why do you think Amazon is moving into the fitness tracker space?

Twenty-six years after Amazon.com was founded as a bookseller, Powell’s, the iconic independent book chain in Portland, OR, has decided to stop selling books on the e-tailing giant’s platform.  Is now the right time for Powell’s to stop selling on Amazon’s marketplace?

The novel coronavirus pandemic slowed new store openings to a near halt, but some retailers are now moving ahead with opening plans, even as COVID-19 remains a significant public health concern.  Do you think newly opened grocery stores will do more business or less than they would have pre-pandemic?

This coming holiday season is expected to see the earliest promotions ever, although many of the reasons are tied to the pandemic rather than getting a jump on the competition. Do you see more benefits than drawbacks in holding promotions earlier this holiday season?

While the novel coronavirus pandemic has been rough on retail as a whole, retailers in specific segments have found opportunities. One of those retailers is CVS. How can CVS hang on to first-time customers that came in for a COVID-19 test?

Simon Property Group is in talks with Amazon to turn some anchor locations in its malls, which currently are home to or formerly housed a J.C. Penney or Sears store, into local distribution hubs.  Would Simon Property Group benefit from a deal with Amazon to lease former anchor tenant positions in its malls?

Macy’s has expanded its online Style Crew ambassador program from employee-only to include everyone from influencers to ordinary shoppers. Do you see more benefits than risks in Macy’s move to expand its online Style Crew ambassador program beyond employee-only?

Google last week announced it was eliminating commission fees for sellers for purchases made directly through Google Shopping. It is also opening its selling platform to third-party selling tools. Will waiving commission fees and easing onboarding help Google compete better with Amazon’s e-commerce marketplace?

Jeff Bezos offered less than satisfactory answers to questions about his company’s vetting of third-party sellers during yesterday’s “big tech” Congressional hearing. How important is ending the sale of stolen and counterfeit goods to Amazon’s future success?

In the U.K., where a nationwide mask mandate is now in effect, Amazon.com has launched an online shop to help customers get masks that suit their safety needs and sense of style.  Will Amazon have success with this online store, and should it launch the same service in the U.S.?

Ron Margulis did a small study on ecommerce success on a drive down the New Jersey Turnpike, counting the brand names on the trucks along the way. Which retailers do you think have made the most significant gains based on their ecommerce performance going back to March?

Home Depot, Walgreens and many of the largest retailers in the U.S. are throwing their support behind proposed legislation that would require online marketplace operators such as Amazon to verify third-party seller information and provide direct contact information to consumers. Should online marketplaces be required to verify third-party sellers?

Google has launched Shoploop, a video shopping platform “for discovering, evaluating and buying products, all in one place.” What do you think of the opportunity around video shopping and which features are most promising?

Amazon.com is rolling out a new smart shopping cart that will eliminate the need for customers to stop at registers in order to check out of a store. Do you expect Dash Cart to be in big demand by customers when Amazon opens its new grocery store format in Woodland Hills later this year?

More than half of Walmart’s top customers have Amazon Prime memberships. Walmart wants them all to itself as it prepares to officially launch Walmart+. How important is it for Walmart’s business to attract the 50 percent of its most important customers who have Amazon Prime memberships to the Walmart+ plan?

As consumers have navigated their way through stay-at-home and social distancing restrictions during the pandemic, a new study says Amazon’s web traffic has soared, but other retailers are up even more. Why do you think Amazon’s major competitors have gained more traffic than it did during the stay at home period?

Supermarket chains have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic with added safety measures, pay and benefits to support frontline workers. But a new analysis by Oxfam concludes they haven’t done enough. Do you agree or disagree with Oxfam’s analysis that large grocery chain operators are not doing enough for frontline workers?

It doesn’t sound right, but new research says that sites that collect consumer reviews on businesses and products should leave fake ones untouched. How significant a role do you think business and product reviews play in purchasing decisions?

Walmart is serious about growing its online marketplace business. The retailer has teamed up with Shopify to enable sellers from the platform to sell their goods on walmart.com. What is your take on the significance of the Walmart/Shopify deal?

Early last month, the National Retail Federation sent a memo to Congress with a list of the priorities that the trade group believed should be in any new stimulus legislation. At the top of that list was liability reform. Do you support the passage of legislation that would limit the liability of employers in cases where workers get sick from COVID-19 on the job?

“We are a community in pain. That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities — it extends across America,” wrote Target CEO Brian Cornell Friday in an open letter. What is your reaction to how retailers and brands have reacted to nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd?

Facebook last week introduced new tools that let small businesses set up online storefronts on its site and Instagram for free. Is Facebook Shops positioned to accelerate online sales across social media?

Amazon is looking to get its once vaunted distribution system back into its pre-pandemic shape and doing so will require pushing its annual Prime Day event from July to September. Will Amazon’s 2020 results be helped or hurt if it moves Prime Day September, and will the decision affect its results beyond this year?

Amazon.com has wasted no time in pursuing a possible acquisition of all or some of J.C. Penney’s business, according to news initially broken by WWD. Would a purchase of all or part of J.C. Penney by Amazon make sense for either party?

Engineers at Amazon.com’s Prime Air unit have developed face shields that will soon be made available at a very low cost to frontline healthcare workers on the e-tailing and tech giant’s site. Are concerns about Amazon’s motivation for developing face shields at-cost for frontline healthcare workers valid or overblown?

Since the novel coronavirus pandemic began, low-paying frontline positions in grocery have been recognized by the public as some of the most indispensable and dangerous in the country. As states begin to open more businesses to the public, should the higher wages paid to frontline grocery workers during the pandemic become the standard moving forward?

Robots have been hailed for their effectiveness as contagion-proof workers in hospitals and are being seen as a potential solution for retail’s new COVID-19-related challenges. In what areas will robots likely offer the biggest benefit in helping retailers navigate the coronavirus pandemic?

In another rollout accelerated by the pandemic, Google is now allowing merchants to list their products on Google Shopping for free. Will offering free listings help the Google Shopping platform better compete against Amazon?

Walmart last week said it was rolling out Express Delivery for “more than 160,000 items” across groceries, general merchandise, electronics and toys categories within two hours for $10. Will Express Delivery offer much appeal to Walmart’s customers during and after the pandemic?

Wellpath has been lucky enough to be in the unique position of having more demand for wellness products. With higher demand, however, come new challenges of keeping up with all areas of the supply chain.  What do you think are the keys for consumer-direct brands and retailers to navigate supply chain challenges that have arisen with the coronavirus pandemic?

Amazon reported higher revenues and lower earnings during the first quarter. The results were expected as the e-tailing and tech giant saw sales demand and expenses increase as it sought to keep up as the novel coronavirus crossed the U.S. How well do you think Amazon has responded to the coronavirus outbreak in comparison to its “essential” retailing peers?

Amazon is implementing a solution it hopes will help significantly cut down on bootleg sellers while remaining consistent with guidelines for social distancing. Will video calls be an effective way for Amazon to vet third-party sellers?