Macy’s and Wegmans are going for the heart strings in round six of the 2022 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. Which one will join Etsy, Kroger, Publix, Amazon.com and Aldi UK in the finals? What is your critique of the Christmas spots from Macy’s and Wegmans?

Macy’s recently announced that it has carved out roughly one million square feet across 35 stores to efficiently fulfill online orders in local markets at a reduced cost. How do you see Macy’s semi-automated store-level and large warehouse fulfillment centers working together?

Macy’s has been pursuing opportunities to grow its business through store-within-a-store partnerships, and in its latest alliance is teaming up with Claire’s to open shops inside 21 Macy’s stores, including eight flagship locations. Are Claire’s and Macy’s a good match?

Described as a “nightmare before Christmas” by The Wall Street Journal, Macy’s and Kohl’s saw an unexpected sales slowdown in October and early November, leaving questions about whether holiday gifting is being delayed or cut back in a hyper-inflationary period. How worrisome should the late holiday purchasing trend be for department stores?

Amid a continued tight labor market, holiday help appears to be less in demand this year due to the souring economy. Is it prudent or hasty to significantly pull back on seasonal hires amid inflationary pressures and the uncertain economy?

Macy’s competitors have been forced to pack-and-hold large amounts of excess inventory, but the department store giant claims that it was able to avoid that scenario in many cases by paying close attention to its co-branded credit card data. Are some retail forecasting systems missing data important to projecting future consumer activity?

Walmart, Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s are among retailers that have recently said they are canceling some orders to better balance inventory levels, a replay of a strategy used at the start of the pandemic. Should order cancellations be a rare, last-resort option or regularly used as a tool for rebalancing inventories?

Kohl’s said its online sales in the second quarter benefited from higher conversion rates, driven largely by a move to lower its free shipping threshold on order size to $49 from $75. How should the order size threshold for free shipping be determined?

Macy’s is not anchoring itself to malls any longer. The department store retailer said it will open four new small, off-mall stores as part of a multiyear strategy to reinvent its business in suburban “power centers” around the country. How likely is Macy’s to close more of its mall stores and replace them with Market by Macy’s or dual Market and Backstage locations?

Every Macy’s will soon have a Toys“R”Us shop inside. The two retailers yesterday said that the toy shops will begin opening later this month, locating one in every Macy’s department store by October 15. How likely are Macy’s customers to shop its stores for toys this holiday season?

“It’s slow progress, but retailers’ interest in urban corridors is returning and deal volume is inching up, while shoppers, workers, travelers and diners return to city life,” according to a new report from real estate services firm JLL. How confident are you that urban retail will soon return close to pre-pandemic levels?

Nordstrom recently disclosed that it has shuttered Trunk Club, but has no plans to deemphasize personalized styling.  Is Nordstrom’s closure of Trunk Club more about the challenges of running apparel subscription services or overall demand for online styling advice?

Many retailers in the first quarter found themselves with inventory levels that exceeded sales gains. This after dealing with two years of shortages tied to supply chain disruptions. Are the inventory imbalances faced by many retailers likely a temporary or longer-term issue?

Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette has been saying that the department store company he leads is a different and better retailer than it has been in the past. The chain’s most recent quarterly results don’t appear to do anything to disprove that assertion. Are you becoming a Macy’s believer?

Macy’s, a longstanding fixture of the shopping mall, is expanding a standalone store strategy in a way that could change how customers think of the retail chain. Do you see moving away from the mall and into smaller, standalone stores as a path to reinvention for Macy’s?

Continuing its fast rollout, Macy’s announced plans to expand Backstage in-store shops to 37 more full-line locations this spring, bringing the off-price concept to nearly 60 percent of the chain and reaching its Herald Square and State Street flagships. Has the Backstage concept proven itself inside Macy’s full-line locations?

H&M has opened up its e-commerce sites in Germany and Sweden to third-party brands on a trial basis. The retailer is testing to see whether a marketplace model will resonate with consumers in the two European countries before it scales the test further. Would an H&M marketplace be successful if launched in the U.S.?

Macy’s has updated its dress code to encourage associates to dress according to their personal styles so they can be better seen as experts for style advice. What do you think of the “Own Your Style” platform’s overall effort to position Macy’s as the go-to place for fashion guidance?

Kohl’s, at its Investor Day earlier this month, said it plans over the next four years to open 100 small-format stores, at about 35,000 square feet versus the company average of 80,000. Do you see a hyper-localized approach to merchandising as key to Kohl’s success with smaller-format stores?

Macy’s had a good year in 2021 and perhaps will silence, at least temporarily, those who say that department stores are going the way of the dodo bird.  Is Macy’s a different and better retailer today than it was in 2019?

Promising a double-bonus of cost and time savings, Apple on Wednesday began offering free two-hour delivery in major metro areas from Dec. 22 through Dec. 24. What marketing messages do last-minute shoppers need to hear that are different than those offered earlier in the holiday season?

Kohl’s is the latest retailer to be feeling the heat from an activist investor looking to spin off its e-commerce operations from the rest of its business. Does it make sense in the long-term for Kohl’s to split its digital and physical businesses or sell off real estate in a leaseback situation?

Toys “R” Us has a new owner and is taking another shot at establishing a presence in the U.S. WHP Global, the parent company of the retailer, will open a new two-story flagship store in mid-December inside the American Dream megamall in New Jersey. Will Toys “R” Us achieve success with its American Dream flagship store and its Macy’s partnership?

It’s not surprising to see so many direct competitors looking to match their ad spending levels to those of their primary rivals. It is with this understanding that we kick off the ninth year of the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. What is your critique of the Christmas spots from Macy’s and Kohl’s?

On the heels of Macy’s exuberant earnings report last week, which pushed its stock price up 21 percent overnight to a 230 percent gain for the year to date, a boardroom drama has intensified, spurred by an activist investor. Should Macy’s seriously consider splitting its digital business from its store business?

Macy’s plans to launch a curated online marketplace that will recruit “carefully selected” third parties to sell their products on macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The platform will launch in the second half of 2022.  Do you expect Macy’s to have success with its digital marketplace?

At Macy’s, the only gift cards available are those linked back to purchases at the retailer. Best Buy, in contrast, offers not only its own gift cards but those for Macy’s, Amazon.com and more than 150 other retailers, restaurants and entertainment businesses. Would you encourage retailers to sell only their own gift cards, offer a curated mix or sell as many gift cards as possible?

Retailers are expected to reduce the number of items they put on sale this holiday season, and the discounts that are offered will probably be much closer to everyday prices than they’ve been in the past. Do you expect reduced discounting to hold throughout the holiday season?

Macy’s is the latest apparel retailer to boost its focus on sustainability as customers continue to expect a greater environmental commitment from the fashion industry. Will sustainability be a positive brand marketing point for Macy’s going forward and will it affect how consumers see the retailer?

The lure of high valuation, standalone digital businesses is leading some retailers in a new strategic direction. Are retailers’ sales and profit objectives more likely to be achieved by separating physical and digital operations or by taking a unified approach?

A new survey found that one-third of employees would prefer an informal dress code to an extra $5,000 in salary. Do you see the pandemic becoming a milestone event accelerating the casualization of wardrobes?

Target plans to reduce seasonal hires and give more hours to existing employees as it navigates a tight labor market. Do you see more benefits than risks in Target’s move to hire less seasonal help and give those hours to current associates?

The Macy’s 2020 Thanksgiving Day Parade was scaled down significantly. This year New York City is preparing for the return of the event and a crowd of spectators to watch in person. Will the return of the full, live event have any impact on the public’s perception of Macy’s and its sales during this year’s Christmas selling season?

Retail toy sales got off to a hot start in 2021. How well the category performs, however, particularly during the critical Christmas season, remains to be seen. Are you expecting toy unit sales to outperform last year’s Christmas selling season or will supply chain issues and high prices limit growth?

When the Federated Department Stores’ merger with May Department Stores was announced, the deal’s promise was pitched to Wall Street with one word: Big.  To what degree can Macy’s struggles be linked back to the decision to consolidate regional nameplates under one national banner and shift away from local buying?

Macy’s is launching a new private label brand, touting the clothing line as fashion-forward and contemporary and has planned events in New York City, Chicago and Fort Lauderdale throughout late July. Do you think adding private label lines like And Now This can help Macy’s become fashionable with customers again?

The novel coronavirus pandemic brought about changes to how retailers and consumer brands conducted business with one another. Just how many of those changes will stick remains to be seen.  How have retailer and vendor relationships shifted since the pandemic hit last year?

Macy’s has been struggling to return to national prominence for some time, but CEO Jeff Gennette wants to focus on going big in the Big Apple with plans to transform the iconic Herald Square location into a massive retail landmark. Is this a wise investment on the part of Macy’s leadership or would it be better off directing these resources elsewhere?

Macy’s reported a 63.9 percent gain in same-store sales during the first quarter as shoppers returned to stores and online sales climbed upward. Do you agree with Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette that its improved first quarter performance was not “a short-term pop” for the retailer?

Walmart has launched an expanded supplier program providing diverse and minority-owned businesses with early payment on invoices. What’s the best way retailers or brands to support Black-owned or minority-owned businesses?

Macy’s cannot offer the use of its Scan and Pay app for purchases from departments where employees make commissions in union-represented stores in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, a labor relations arbitrator recently ruled. How serious an issue is the proper accounting of how in-store actions affect online sales?

West Elm has launched its first social ambassador program in another test of the potential of influencer marketing in the home category. What do you think of the potential for West Elm Collective and for influencer-driven ambassador programs in general?

Amazon.com was considering opening a clearance concept selling unsold inventory of home goods and electronics at steep discounts prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic, reports Bloomberg.  What do you think was behind Amazon’s exploration of clearance stores and will they still make sense post-pandemic?

Sephora and Bath & Body Works have announced plans to aggressively open off-mall locations in 2021. The moves come as traffic woes impact enclosed malls and strip malls, lifestyle centers and retailers turn to open-air locations that offer a social distancing advantage. Will the shift toward off-mall locations outlive the pandemic?

Macy’s, Inc. announced yesterday that its chief operating officer, John Harper, will be leaving the retailer on Aug. 1 and that the position will not be refilled. What do you think Macy’s most recent senior leadership changes mean for the retailer’s future direction?

Macy’s reported a gain in earnings during the fourth quarter, the first time in more than a year, as the department store retailer cut inventory and pulled back on merchandise discounts.  What do you find encouraging about Macy’s earnings report and its strategic plan for its business?

New research shows that only 32 percent of Christmas commercials reflect the current realities of the pandemic and, apparently, that’s okay with most American viewers. There isn’t a mask to be found in either of this week’s Christmas Commercial Challenge spots. What is your critique of the Christmas spots from Macy’s and Target?

For the first time since 1861, Santa will not be greeting kids at Macy’s New York City flagship due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.  Did Macy’s make the right move to forego in-person Santa Claus visits in its flagship stores?

The practice of virtually hiring and onboarding seasonal help has been on the rise in recent years as online technology advances, but this holiday season, due to COVID-19, it has become the primary option for many retailers. Will the quality of retail’s seasonal staff be impacted by the shift toward virtual hiring and onboarding?

Macy’s has decided to close two of its stores to on-site shopping for the holidays, choosing instead to convert the locations into dark stores that offer in-store and curbside pickup and enable product returns. Do you see dark stores as a good way for retailers to turn underperforming locations into productive sales assets?