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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Smart & Final swaps private equity owner for largest U.S. Hispanic grocer
Grupo Comercial Chedraui, Mexico’s third-largest retailer and the largest Hispanic grocery store operator in the U.S., has reached an agreement to acquire Smart & Final, which operates “smaller, faster” warehouse stores…
Is Amazon the safest place to work in retail?
Amazon’s management wants the world to know that the company is serious when it comes to the health and safety of its workers with a comprehensive physical and mental health…
Neighborhood Goods puts CPG brands on the menu
Neighborhood Goods, which claims to be reinventing the department store model, is also exploring doing the same for consumer packaged goods, using an on-premise restaurant for sampling. Are mainstream grocers…
Do brands currently have a rare opportunity to build trust with consumers?
A slew of corporate and governmental scandals and an influx of misinformation have destabilized the public’s trust in many traditional institutions, yet may have created “an unprecedented opportunity” for brands…
Whole Foods goes all-in on centralized buying
Whole Foods Market announced last week an organizational realignment that includes fully centralizing product buying. Does shifting to centralized buying offer more benefits or risks for Whole Foods?
Will virtual fitting room tech help Walmart achieve its fashion ambitions?
Walmart has been on a multiyear journey to up its fashion cred and the latest milestone is last week’s announcement that it is acquiring Zeekit, a virtual fitting room technology…
Can Nike ‘Just Do It’ with a hybrid work model?
Nike sent out an internal memo last week calling on U.S. employees to return to work at world headquarters in Beaverton, OR at least three full days a week, with…
Should retailers continue to require associates and customers to wear masks?
Americans who have received full doses of COVID-19 vaccines and have allowed at least two weeks to pass will now be free to go about their daily activities without wearing…
Hubert Joly says ‘human connection’ laid the foundation of Best Buy’s turnaround
Best Buy looked like a retail chain on its way out of business in the early 2010s. Under the guidance of then-CEO Hubert Joly, however, the retailer turned its fortunes…
Will Walmart’s early payment program be a difference-maker for minority vendors?
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?
Simon says J.C. Penney is ready to become a 21st century retailer
J.C. Penney is moving in the right direction, but it is still a work in progress. That’s the assessment of David Simon, CEO of Simon Property Group, the co-owner of…
How high can thredUP grow?
It’s good to be thredUP. The online consignment shop and thrift store posted results that exceeded its own internal expectations as well as Wall Street’s, and the signs are promising…
Has augmented reality tech reached an inflection point at retail?
Augmented reality may be at an inflection point in marketing technology similar to the emergence of social media in the early 2010s and the web in the late 1990s. Did augmented…
Will going low lift up Bed Bath & Beyond’s sales and profits?
Bed Bath & Beyond has launched Simply Essential, an owned brand line of 1,200 bed, bath, home, kitchen and dining, and storage and organization items sold at entry level price…
Are two PacSun CEOs better than one?
PacSun, announced a leadership transition that will see Alfred Chang, the teen chain’s president, and Mike Relich, interim CEO of PSEB Group, share the chief executive role. Are you a…
Uber Eats delivers dinner with a side of blush
People ordering restaurant meals from Uber Eats might find makeup on the menu in some markets thanks to a new deal between the rideshare delivery service and Estée Lauder. Do…
Simon CEO says Americans are experiencing ‘euphoria’ as they return to malls
Simon Property Group CEO David Simon offered answers to analysts yesterday that were one part optimistic and another cautious on the prospects for the company’s malls this year. Are Americans…
Are brands and retailers defining authenticity on their own terms or consumers’?
University researchers have come up with six types of judgements consumers make when determining a product’s authenticity. What advice would you have for brands and retailers actively trying to convey…
Can TikTok stars build brands for digital natives?
Abercrombie & Fitch is launching a standalone apparel brand, called Social Tourist, with TikTok stars and sisters, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, in an effort to reach always-on generations. What do…
Why is omnichannel sales attribution still a problem?
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…
Can associate dress codes support in-store social distancing?
University researchers conclude that the way store associates are dressed offers in-store signals that may be used as part of social distancing initiatives as consumers get more comfortable shopping in…
