Food shopping options for downtowners can be downright dismal. Patricia Waldron is a center city dweller and feels fortunate to have a great Ralph’s in her neighborhood, but before the store opened, downtown San Diego was pretty much a food desert.  Are grocers generally doing enough to serve urban consumers?

People enjoy working from home so much that going back to the office five days a week is no longer an option. Being home more often, consumers prefer to shop local more and want bigger brands to come to them, according to this study. Do you see a significant opportunity for national retailers to open up smaller stores in local neighborhoods?

Walmart is closing its two pickup- and deliver-only concept stores in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnwood and in Bentonville, AR.  What do Walmart’s store closings and new store openings from startups like Addie’s say about the viability of pickup-only grocery stores?

An Amazon Fresh is not coming to a neighborhood near you just yet. The company will delay opening new Fresh stores until it figures out how to differentiate the locations from established competitors in the market. How do you evaluate Amazon’s strengths and weaknesses in the grocery vertical?

Sam’s Club plans to open a new warehouse club next year in Florida. It will be the first new club the chain has opened since 2017. Is Sam’s Club on the right track with its plans to open new clubs and fulfillment and distribution centers?

Babies”R”Us is coming back. WHP Global, which owns the company, yesterday said that it plans to open its first Babies”R”Us flagship store in the U.S. this summer in the American Dream mall in New Jersey. What form do you think “a national rollout of Babies”R”Us” will take and what kind of success might it see?

The year 2023 is going to be better at retail than expected, especially for those companies that appeal to the higher and lower ends of the market. Those catering to the middle will likely have a tough go of it. How do you think the national economy will affect consumer behavior and retail in 2023?

2022 is shaping up as a breakout year for Publix’s Greenwise Market format. The Greenwise organic food and essentials specialty concept in Florida experienced higher year-over-year foot traffic growth in September than Publix’s mainstream stores, according to a Placer.ai study. What factors are key to making small format grocery stores work?

The digital kitchenware site Our Place is one of the latest online-only brands to move into brick and mortar retailing. What can a brand like Our Place do to succeed and differentiate itself in a physical retail space?

New university research explores how grocers can take advantage of in-store cameras employing advanced artificial intelligence technologies to read facial expressions — raising an eyebrow, opening eyes, smiling — to enhance store layouts. What do you think of the potential benefits to store layout design of using facial recognition technologies?

And now for something completely different. Target today said that it plans to open new larger-format stores with new reimagined open layouts designed to better meet the needs of the chain’s guests (AKA customers).  Is Target on the right track with its new, larger store format and new design?

The pop-up model has brought some retailers a lot of success in recent years, so much so that some retail experts see pop-ups as a standard component in the future of retail. Do you think pop-ups are poised to become more popular over time?

Ulta Beauty plans to combine in-store displays of mass and prestige skincare and makeup brands for the first time in a new store layout. Do you see a greater upside or downside to Ulta’s new layout that consolidates mass and prestige skincare and makeup brands in-store?

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?

Tempe, AZ, is putting the finishing touches on a planned car-free community built to let its 1,000 inhabitants live — and shop — without owning cars. Should retailers plan on revamping or tailoring concepts for walkable communities like Culdesac, and how?

Google has announced plans to open its second store in Brooklyn’s hip Williamsburg’s neighborhood with a distinctive community vibe and a promise of more to come. What do you think of Google’s localized approach to its planned Williamsburg location and the growth potential for its neighborhood store concept?

Visitors to one H-E-B store location can now purchase home goods while shopping for groceries, and if the Texan grocery giant continues with its current plans, visitors to many more of its stores will soon be able to, as well. What are the keys to success for retailers — grocers, in particular — when moving into new product categories?

Champs Sports, a sporting goods retailer owned by Foot Locker, will soon launch the first location of its HomeField experiential store concept. Will the concept help the company pivot away from reliance on Nike and expand its appeal in the broader sporting goods interests?

Abercrombie & Fitch just scored its highest operating margin in over a decade with 2022 expected to show greater annual net store openings than closures for the first time since 2008. What has most impressed you about Abercrombie & Fitch’s turnaround?

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?

BJ’s Wholesale Club is piloting a smaller store, BJ’s Market, to serve as an innovation lab and potentially become an expansion vehicle. Does a smaller format store make sense for BJ’s Wholesale Club to support omnichannel selling or for other reasons?

Amazon.com appears committed to operating physical stores, but appears to be optimizing its format strategy. The retail and technology giant is shuttering all of 68 of its Amazon Books, 4-Star and pop-up shops. What do you think of Amazon’s move?

A representative of a convenience store chain recently said that foodservice is now the most important part of the convenience store experience.  Do you think it is true that convenience stores are becoming primarily “restaurants that sell gas”?

Walmart wants to keep its customers a bit longer. The retailer announced updates to its incubator store in Springdale, AR, that are focused on engaging customers throughout the shopping journey. Which element(s) of Walmart’s  redesigned incubator store will have the biggest effect on the customer experience and rings at the register?

Amazon.com has become the biggest apparel seller in the U.S. without any stores. Now it plans to open its first clothing store this year under the Amazon Style banner. What’s your reaction to the Amazon Style store concept?

As a number of major U.S. cities continue to grapple with the problem of violent, orchestrated retail theft, Safeway in San Francisco is rolling out restrictive solutions it hopes will stop the shoplifting mobs. Do you see Safeway’s introduction of barriers and other security measures as workable long-term solutions that will deter theft?

Dollar General is planning to accelerate the expansion of Popshelf, its concept targeting suburban women, with a goal of reaching 1,000 locations by 2025. What do you think of the overall appeal of Popshelf and the timing of the ramped-up launch?

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?

Direct-to-consumer beauty retailer Glossier continues to bring an experiential element to its brand with its new store location in Los Angeles, its second since shuttering all its stores last year, according to Glossy.  Do you think an experiential beauty store that is not entirely focused on product makes sense for Glossier?

Starbucks and Amazon have teamed up to open the first of at least three concept stores between the two Seattle-based retailing giants. Will the new Starbucks Pickup with Amazon Go concept be a winner for both companies leading to a wide rollout across the U.S.?

While waves of the pandemic continue to impact the U.S., the relaxation of restrictions and the perception of overall improvement has led to an increase in store openings, which one firm sees as a sign that physical retail is entering a “new age.”  Do you see a new era of physical retailing on the horizon? What will it look like?

IKEA will open two mini-Planning Studios in the Los Angeles area with a focus on “providing inspiration and smart home solutions for city living.” Is it more important now to be more accessible and convenient to urban shoppers versus when IKEA first entered those markets?

Petco Health and Wellness Company has opened a new concept store designed to give pet parents and their dogs a chance to experience the chain’s private label in a new way.  Do you think the Reddy store concept will be successful enough to warrant further expansion by Petco?

Banana Republic is launching a new brand identity and positioning — “winking at its heritage while reinventing itself for today’s modern world.” Can Banana Republic’s original safari positioning help the chain recraft its identity 43 years later?

It’s only one store, but Dick’s Sporting Goods sees big things ahead for its new Public Lands concept, which will celebrate its grand opening on Sept. 24 in Pennsylvania. Do you see the Public Lands concept as in-tune with the needs of consumers in the outdoors lifestyle market?

Customers have long associated IKEA with the experience with traversing a labyrinth of furniture and home décor. Now IKEA may be ditching the maze in favor of a layout it considers to be even more immersive. Is the “maze” aspect of IKEA an advantage or a disadvantage at this point in the chain’s evolution?

Parachute, the direct-to-consumer brand, isn’t satisfied to carve out a small niche in home products. The company is looking to take market share from the bigger brands and build a billion dollar-plus business. Will the virtual and physical storytelling of D2C brands like Parachute enable these companies to connect with growing numbers of consumers?

Taco Bell last week introduced a new two-story concept, Taco Bell Defy. The design features four drive-thru lanes on the ground level and houses the kitchen on the second level where orders are prepared to send below for pickup. Is the Taco Bell Defy concept likely a winner?

Dollar General Corp. announced the launch of DG Market + pOshelf, a “store-within-a-store concept” combining DG Market, its larger format store focusing on groceries, and pOpshelf, its new non-consumables concept targeting a more affluent customer. Does DG Market + pOpshelf sound like a winner or does combining formats only confuse the consumer?

Victoria’s Secret, which is attempting to reposition its business as it heads toward a spin-off from L Brands, has restated plans to move its new stores to standalone locations and away from the malls. What changes to store design, operations and other areas do you think Victoria’s Secret needs to make to be successful going forward?

Bloomingdale’s has announced the launch next month of a new concept store that it promises will deliver the best of what the department store has to offer, but in a smaller space. Will the new Bloomie’s small store concept prove successful for Bloomingdale’s?

One of the most popular toy brands is betting on experiential retail coming back in a big way. Lego just opened a two-story flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Do you see an experiential strategy like the one Lego has planned for NYC working throughout the U.S.?

Consumers have migrated to e-commerce at an unprecedented rate since the novel coronavirus pandemic began. One major luxury brand, however, is standing by the physical store as the future of retail. Do you agree with LVMH’s position that stores are the future of retail and that digital commerce is only a complement to the physical experience?

Target turned in a record performance last year and followed that up with a better-than-expected start in 2021. But the retailer has no plans to rest on its laurels. Will Target’s store remodeling plan put it ahead, in-step with or behind the curve when it comes to offering the retail shopping experience that American consumers want?

A study says that more than four out of five of us have changed food habits during the pandemic. Food service companies are responding to these changes with new service levels, offerings and formats. Do you think restaurants and other foodservice providers have adapted well to changes brought about as a result of the pandemic?

Headlines that echo forecasts of thousands of stores closing their doors over the next five years seem alarming on the surface, but perhaps it’s a sign of different things — maybe better or maybe not — to come.  Do you think the prediction that online sales will grow from 18 to 27 percent of retail’s total between now and 2026 is accurate?

Dick’s Sporting Goods has announced the grand opening of its House of Sport experiential concept store. The new store will provide a variety of experiences for various sports both inside and outside the store. Is Dick’s on the right track with its experiential store concepts?

Starbucks is using technology to make trips to get coffee more customer friendly for those who are blind or have otherwise compromised vision. Should solutions like the one Starbucks is using to help blind and low-vision customers shop become standard practice in retail stores and foodservice establishments?

For years, Matthew Stern had a near-daily ritual of visiting the hot bar and salad bar at the grocery store across the street. It was not a cost efficient habit, but convenient nevertheless. The novel coronavirus pandemic ended his routine.  Is now the right or wrong time for grocery stores to start reopening food bars?

Men’s Wearhouse recently introduced its first two next-gen store locations that feature a more streamlined layout and host of digital elements. Does Men’s Wearhouse’s next-gen store appear to successfully reinvent the shopping experience for tailored clothing?