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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Is sportswear positioned to go on a long term winning streak?
The Bank of America (BofA) has identified five “megatrends” — some accelerated by the pandemic — representing tailwinds advancing sports apparel and footwear growth. Do you expect sportswear growth to…
Is Home Depot’s deal with Walmart a sign of bigger things to come?
Home Depot is hiring Walmart to handle local deliveries for its stores.The retailers revealed today that they are teaming up to give Home Depot’s customers another way to have their…
Target is giving associates even more reasons to stay
Target announced that it will pay store associates $2 an hour extra for working on Saturdays and Sundays starting on November 20 and running through December 19. How does Target’s…
Will access to hard-to-find gifts make Totaltech-heads out of Best Buy’s customers?
Best Buy is launching a nationwide rollout of its Totaltech subscription program. Membership offers a host of service and purchasing benefits. Will Totaltech increase the sense of loyalty that Best…
Is consumer-direct less profitable for brands than selling wholesale?
A new study has found that although many apparel brands are aggressively shifting towards direct-to-consumer, underlying profitability may be better selling through wholesale channels. How confident are you that DTC…
Has Walmart put a bullseye on Cat & Jack with its new Free Assembly Kids line?
Walmart is serious about raising its fashion cred. The retailer has engaged in a number of exclusive brand relationships and has sought to up its game with its private label…
Mobile retail aspires to attain food truck-like popularity
Mobile retail is at the early experimental phase of development, but operators are looking to achieve the same level of acceptance as food trucks have achieved in the restaurant space…
Amazon asks, why wait for Black Friday when you can get Christmas deals today?
Why wait? Amazon.com announced today that “Black Friday-worthy deals” are available right now on its site. How do you expect the dueling sales promotions to play out between Amazon and…
Will JCPenney’s ‘new, inclusive beauty experience’ relaunch be a hit?
JCPenney plans to replace its Sephora in-store beauty shops with a broad focus on inclusivity, including across price points. What do you think of JCPenney’s plans for its post-Sephora beauty…
HomeGoods finally has a home online
HomeGoods, founded in 1992 and now with 846 locations, has launched an e-commerce offering for the first time. Does e-commerce make sense for off-price selling in the home category?
Is working in retail a real job?
There was a time when it was not unheard of for lower-level retail employees to think about moving up in the company. Now, more often than not, they think of…
Can ‘gain language’ persuade more consumers to go green?
A new university study finds using “gain language,” or highlighting positive possible outcomes, works better at encouraging people to go green than “loss language,” or highlighting negative potential outcomes. What…
Digital-first focus drives faster growth than stores ever did for Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty’s digital-first multi-channel strategy is helping the U.K-based women’s activewear brand to “grow quite quickly in multiple markets at the same time,” according to Julia Straus, CEO. To what…
Last-mile costs keep piling up
While the escalating costs of sending goods across the ocean have created headlines, continued rate hikes and fees from FedEx and UPS are more quietly continuing to increase the cost…
Will Dollar Tree succeed as a dollar+ store?
Dollar Tree has decided that it can’t hold the line on its dollar pricing any longer. The retailer made known on Tuesday that it plans to raise prices on select…
Will Target’s customers treat October 10 like Black Friday?
Target announced yesterday that it will kick off its Christmas promotions on Sunday, October 10. The retailer is looking to cash in on the opportunity created by earlier shopping trends…
Will layaway programs go away for good (or bad)?
With the 2021 holiday season approaching, Walmart has announced the end of its layaway option. The program is being replaced with a buy now, pay later financing service. What do…
Best Buy says ‘relax, we’ve got you’
Best Buy has released two new commercials as part of a new branding campaign to show customers that the retailer is there for them, where and when needed. Do you…
COVID-19 has put grocers and CPG brands through some changes
Grocers struggled to meet consumer demand for delivery, BOPIS and other options last year as the pandemic hit, while CPG companies switched their focus to channels that would make it…
Whole Foods goes from free to $10 grocery delivery fee for Amazon Prime members
Being an Amazon.com Prime member will no longer get you free two-hour deliveries from Whole Foods Market beginning on October 25. What will be the net effect of Amazon.com’s decision to…
Will Americans finish this year’s Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving?
Holiday spending levels have been creeping well before Thanksgiving weekend for years but the steady drumbeat of warnings about inventory shortages has created even more urgency around shopping early in…
