Timing, as the saying goes, is everything, and Jeff Gennette, CEO of Macy’s, Inc., thinks that there has never been a better time for Bloomingdale’s to shine. Do you agree that struggling competitors and the shift in consumer spending away from experiences have worked in Bloomingdale’s favor?

Retail has found new purpose in facial recognition during the coronavirus crisis for its potential to support contact-free payments, temperature checks, mask-detection and surveillance. Do you see facial-recognition technology offering solutions to the newer challenges facing retail due to COVID-19?

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?

With customers now hesitant about shopping brick-and-mortar, one retailer is using influencers to address a unique pandemic-era concern — letting customers know the stores are safe.   Will social media influencers be able to assuage fears and attract hesitant shoppers back to Nordstrom and other retailers with the promise of safer shopping?

J.C. Penney, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus are three retailers that have at least one thing in common—all three have paid or are trying to pay millions in bonuses to their executives after making big cuts to their businesses. How does the payout of large financial bonuses to top executives at struggling and bankrupt retailers affect the morale and performance of employees?

Macy’s is exploring spreading holiday promotions, extending hours and playing up curbside pickup to better manage crowds this upcoming holiday season. Do you expect shoppers to turn out for Black Friday and other busy holiday sales dates leading up to Christmas in similar numbers to the past?

Macy’s, Inc. announced yesterday plans to cut 3,900 corporate jobs, three percent of its total workforce, in a move to reduce costs by $365 million this year and $630 million annually going forward. Do you think a smaller Macy’s will be a better retailer than it was before?

When retail stores closed to customers in March, the hope was that Americans would come back and make up for lost time and sales when states began to let merchants reopen. What are your expectations for retail sales as stores reopen to the public?

Macy’s announced that it has negotiated $3.15 billion in asset-based credit in addition to a previously announced $1.3 billion bond offering. Will the combination of new financing along with Macy’s three-year Polaris plan enable the retailer to emerge stronger down the road than it was before the coronavirus pandemic hit?

“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?

The ability to have customers return merchandise, try on clothes in fitting rooms and even touch merchandise has been clouded by concerns over the transmission of COVID-19. How should retailers manage returns, fitting rooms and other product-related contamination risks?

Outside of travel and leisure, no industry will be more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than non-essential retail, and in that category, no vertical will be impacted more than fashion. How will the pandemic reset the fashion marketplace?

WWD reported last week that moves by stores to cancel orders and postpone payments to vendors has increased as the operational and financial realities of the outbreak have become clear. Should the needs of employees take precedence over vendor partners as retailers seek to preserve liquidity in response to the coronavirus pandemic?

Retailers and brands have ramped up e-commerce promotions, but with customers just as unconfident about their futures as retailers, it’s not a sure thing that they will spend. What can retailers do to differentiate themselves online at a time when so many are trying to make up for lost brick-and-mortar transactions?

Macy’s and Sephora recently announced plans to focus their expansion on non-mall locations to take advantage of steadier traffic flows seen there vs. indoor malls. What’s driving the apparent healthier traffic trends at strip centers versus enclosed malls?

Crate and Barrel is piloting a standalone store concept that lets customers take advantage of all of their design and decorating expertise and guidance in one physical location. Will a tech-enabled service-focused store concept attract customers and result in improved sales for Crate and Barrel?

Macy’s, Inc. CEO Jeff Gennette  says the department store operator has a bottom line problem and now he has a new and improved three-year plan that he says will help the retailer cut billions of dollars in costs on an annual basis. What parts of Macy’s plan give you cause for optimism and which ones make you dubious about its prospects for success?

After a record number of retail stores were shuttered in 2019, the question for many entering the new year is whether even more will close this year. What are the most significant factors that led to the large numbers of stores that have been shuttered in recent years?

The last decade is over and hopefully with it an end to talk of the retail apocalypse. The current decade starts off with a new class of retailers focused on improving the shopping experience for consumers in various ways. What advances in shopping experience concepts and/or technology do you expect to see this year?

Super Saturday’s sales this year reached $34.4 billion, becoming the biggest single day in U.S. retail history and surpassing Black Friday’s haul of $31.2 billion by 10 percent, according to Customer Growth Partners. Has Super Saturday become a more critical day for retailers than Black Friday?

While department stores have increasingly reserved spaces for emerging brands, Macy’s is introducing holiday pop-ups in seven locations devoted to 12 female-led small businesses. How likely are pop-ups focused on female-led start-ups to drive added traffic to the Macy’s stores where they are positioned?

Retailers across the country are prepping for the fast dash leading up to Christmas. Two of those who could really use a win at this critical time of year are Kohl’s and Macy’s. Which retailer does a better job of connecting with its core customers while reaching out to new shoppers with its holiday commercials?

For the second year in a row, Macy’s has informed customers that its system has been breached, exposing their personal and financial information to hackers. Will news of the Macy’s data breach negatively affect its holiday sales performance?

Macy’s, Inc. announced earlier this week that it will end the sale of garments with animal fur by the end of its 2020 fiscal year. How will going fur-free impact the image consumers have of the Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s brands?

B8ta announced the launch of Forum, a place to demo and experience new products from brands, and collect data on how customers are interacting with their products in-store. Can b8ta succeed with a lifestyle and fashion concept the way it has in consumer electronics?

REI has become the latest retailer to roll out vendor direct shipments to help expand its online offerings.  Does drop shipping make more sense for retailers such as REI and Macy’s and less for others?

Macy’s last week announced plans to relaunch same-day delivery in 30 markets for qualifying purchases of $75 or more. In a switch, delivery will be free for a limited time, instead of the standard $8 fee. How appealing is the offer of free same-day delivery for apparel, footwear and other soft lines categories prevalent at department stores?

Macy’s Inc. announced an extensive initiative to drive diversity and inclusion across its ranks, concerning not only employees but consumers and other external stakeholders. What advantages might Macy’s gain in the marketplace, if it is successful in implementing its plan?

As retailers try to woo customers with next-level convenience, they have begun introducing offerings that might have appeared to compromise their competitive edge in an earlier era. Will the traffic generated by offering returns for other retailers at Nordstrom Local concepts in Manhattan be valuable enough to make it worthwhile?

H&M has selected 15 employees to lead its first employee ambassador program in the U.S. What do you think of H&M’s plan to use employees as influencers as well as its new focus on lifelong ambassadors?

ThredUP bills itself as the largest online thrift store. Soon it may also call itself the largest online thrift store inside the biggest department store chain in the U.S. What do you think of Macy’s partnership with thredUP and its place in the chain’s strategy to attract younger customers?

New initiatives — call them co-opetition, frenemy agreements or partnerships — are bringing together retailers, brands and online marketplaces. With so many companies partnering up, how can one ensure seamless service?

Macy’s has a new merchandising tale to tell, bringing brands and products connected to the outdoors inside the chain’s STORY experiential retail store-within-a-store. Do you subscribe to Rachel Schechtman’s “collaboration is the new competition” philosophy?

There’s a challenge facing almost every retailer with a rewards program in the world of Amazon: How to manage the expected cost of free shipping while investing in rewards perks that delight members and help the merchant stand apart from rivals? What strategies can help retailers minimize the impact of free shipping perks as part of loyalty programs?

Underscoring the many challenges facing the department store sector, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney and Nordstrom all last week reported disappointing first-quarter earnings. What are the toughest hurdles the basic department store model faces as its remaining players work to reinvent themselves?

When Macy’s acquired STORY, many were unsure if Macy’s management would let STORY be STORY, and if the concept would scale within the department store environment. The answer to both those questions is about to be answered. Do you see the STORY launch inside Macy’s as the start of something big for the chain?

While there were a lot of announcements and lightbulb moments at Shoptalk last week, one thing was apparent: Department stores, as we know them, are changing. What do you think department stores will look like in 10 years?

An online publication that covers everyday home design is entering the physical world — not with a print magazine, but with a house that will host influencers and showcase brand partners. Is the Hunker House concept a model for how brands will get their products in front of interested audiences in the years to come?

The spirit of Christmas present was not too kind to department stores during the 2018 holiday season as earnings reports from J.C. Penney, Kohl’s and Macy’s (never mind the bah-humbugging mess that is Sears) point out. Do the reported holiday same-store results point to bigger issues among department stores as a whole or should they be viewed only on a company by company basis?

Retailers are creating affiliate-like programs to enable associates to create digital profiles, drive online engagement with shoppers, and potentially earn themselves fat commissions. But such programs require adjustments. What do you see as the pluses and minuses of enabling in-store associates to drive sales through their digital connections?

Macy’s is reducing space and merchandise in stores with lower sales to increase its productivity on a per square foot basis. The stores will also emphasize customer self-service in footwear and ease online pick-ups. Do you think Macy’s right-sized “neighborhood stores” will prove to be the right approach?

Week one of the RW Christmas Commercial Challenge pits Kohl’s versus Macy’s with the rivals having taken decidedly different approaches. Which do you think does a better job of connecting with each company’s core customers while reaching out to new shoppers?

Macy’s and Facebook are teaming up to create pop-up space for digital brands at the department store’s busiest locations throughout the holiday season. Will the addition of digital brands create excitement and bring customers to Market @ Macy’s locations over the holidays?

There were high hopes for “The Market @ Macy’s” when the retailer launched its turnkey in-store pop-up concept earlier this year. Now, Macy’s is adding the concept to new stores and looking to take the buzz to a new social level via a partnership with Facebook. What is your reaction to Macy’s Market partnership with Facebook?

Low unemployment is pushing retailers to up their offers in hopes of convincing potential temps that working the Christmas season is worth their while. Will the incentives offered by J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Target and others successfully attract the quality of seasonal talent the chains need to manage the holiday season?

Another holiday shopping season is on the way, and Macy’s is among the retailers announcing news about the temporary talent they’re bringing on for 2018, this time pointing more resources at its e-commerce fulfillment. Is Macy’s right to focus on digital with its seasonal hires, or might the holiday store experience suffer due as a result?

On Sept. 4, Macy’s held its first “watch drop” as part of a plan to offer one to four exclusive, limited-edition watches every Wednesday over the next four weeks. Do you see more upside than downside to the increasing number of drops and limited-edition capsules in the luxury space, and why?

While some retailers are running into hurdles in the new economy, off-price retailer Ross is thriving, and is intent on becoming an even bigger force in the world of discount retail. Do you see Ross Stores becoming a force in off-price retail similar to TJX Companies?

Publicly traded companies are frequently rewarded when their sales and earnings performance for a given quarter comes in higher than Wall Street’s expectations. That was not the case for Macy’s, Inc. yesterday. Are you more bullish or bearish on the prospects for Macy’s business over the rest of the year?

A big part of influencer marketing is about tapping into younger audiences through figures they connect with. So, Walmart has partnered with a six-year-old YouTube star to court the post-toddler toy-buying set. Is it a good idea for Walmart to partner with influencers as young as six?