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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Are outlet centers ready to resume growth?
Tanger Outlets and Simon Property Group have both recently renewed investments in building outlet centers as inflation has consumers on the hunt for savings. What’s your outlook for outlet centers?
Should Costco raise its food court prices?
Costco last week earned widespread media coverage for raising prices on two popular items on its food court menu, the chicken bake and 20 oz. soda. Is holding prices on…
Whole Foods’ next CEO wants to reconnect the chain with its higher purpose
Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum, Jason Buechel said one of his goals as the next CEO of Whole Foods Market is “to reconnect to many parts…
Can up-tempo music move shoppers to buy more green goods?
New university research finds up-tempo, major mode music can offer a way for green companies to overcome the consumer “attitude-behavior gap.” Does it make sense that up-tempo, major mode music…
Walmart and Target take different approaches to Amazon’s Prime Day
Walmart will not be launching a special sales promotion next week to match Amazon’s Prime Day. Do you think retailers should run head-to-head events with Prime Day as Target is…
Does fashion need to adopt eco-labels to aid consumer purchasing decisions?
According to a new survey, half of U.S. consumers have some level of interest in eco-labels to guide their fashion purchases, including 13.1 percent who are “very interested.” What do…
Are Walmart+ members ready to invite the retailer into their homes?
Walmart wants its Walmart+ customers to provide access to their refrigerators and is now offering a way for its members to combine their Walmart+ membership with the chain’s InHome Delivery…
Time’s up for TikTok’s U.S. livestream shopping plans
TikTok might be the most downloaded social app both in the U.S. and globally, but American consumers will not be using it to shop anytime soon. TikTok is abandoning its…
What does it take to build a firm foundation for business success?
Paraphrasing from John Maxwell’s leadership mantras, valuing people is foundational to changing your company, your community and the world. What traits are common to successful companies with missions to help…
Will new perks add to Amazon’s Prime numbers?
Amazon.com’s Prime membership already comes with plenty of perks, and now the company is adding more. Will a free GrubHub+ membership, sneak peeks and other new perks be incentive enough…
H&M discovers it’s not easy being green
A recent exposé on fast-fashion retailer H&M alleges that the company’s environmental promise is undermined by greenwashing. What can other chains with an environmental/sustainable promise learn from what H&M is…
Will Ben & Jerry’s be Ben & Jerry’s if its Israel unit’s sale goes through?
Ben & Jerry’s has filed a lawsuit against Unilever, after its parent company last week reached a deal to sell the distribution rights to the brand in Israel to a…
Is Amazon taking its foot off the Prime Day marketing pedal?
Amazon Prime Day, to take place between July 12 and 13, is expected to be less robust than pre-pandemic years due not only to inflation concerns but possibly less investment…
Will Amazon’s grab-and-go tech elevate store analytics?
Amazon has introduced a new Store Analytics offering that taps its cashier-free checkout technologies to provide insights into the in-store performance of vendors’ products and ad campaigns. What do you…
McDonald’s puts hacks, merch drops, musical acts and food deals on its ‘camp’ menu
McDonald’s has launched “Camp McDonald’s,” a campaign offering 27 consecutive days of food deals, menu hacks, musical performances and limited-edition merch drops — available only via the McDonald’s App. Do…
Should more retailers aim for their customers’ funny bones?
A new study finds consumers are seeking humor from brands as they emerge from the pandemic era. Yet only 16 percent of brands surveyed use humor to sell, with 95…
Is H-E-B’s e-grocery playbook a primer for taking on Amazon?
H-E-B is just oh so slightly better at online grocery than Amazon. That’s the finding from the first annual “eCommerce Retailer Preference Index” from dunnhumby. What characteristics set apart the…
Where robots fit into the online grocery store ops equation
Supermarket retailers are faced with a huge labor challenge. The explosion of ecommerce is amplifying this by creating the need for more order pickers to manually fulfill e-grocery orders from…
Will consumers become even more frugal post-pandemic?
A recent survey found 54 percent of Americans consider being called “cheap” a compliment at times and 53 percent are proud of being labeled a bargain hunter. Do you think…
Should investors be worried after RH lowered its forecast for the second time this month?
RH yesterday said that it was lowering its annual sales and profit forecast. It was the second time this month that the luxury furniture and furnishings chain has lowered its…
Marketers are still trying to figure out women’s sports 50 years after Title IX
Sprouts Farmers Market has announced a major sponsorship in women’s athletics through partnerships with the Big 12 and Pac-12 Conferences timed to the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Should retailers…
