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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Starbucks’ opens green innovation center
Starbucks has partnered with Arizona State University to open an innovation center dedicated to testing environmental sustainability initiatives. Does establishing separate innovation centers focusing on sustainable solutions make sense for…
Report: Amazon will surpass Walmart as America’s biggest retailer by 2025
Amazon Inc., including its online marketplace of third-party sellers, will overtake Walmart to be the largest retailer in the U.S. by 2025, according to a new report. Do you think…
Will immersive experiences revitalize U.S. malls?
Immersive entertainment experiences were sweeping the U.S. before the pandemic, but the need to socially distance put it on pause. Now, it could emerge as the new main attraction at…
Do five-star ratings systems have a ‘positivity’ problem?
A university study finds that the five-star online review system has become increasingly less useful because most products are now rated positively. Can five-star rating systems be reimagined to become…
Why did Amazon open a hair salon?
Amazon has opened a hair salon in its latest bricks-and-mortar experiment, allowing the online giant to test new technologies, expand its B2B business with haircare professionals and potentially explore the…
Are consumers getting less creeped out about being tracked online?
While privacy concerns are certainly heightening amid legislation and calls for increased transparency, inhibitions about sharing information for a better online experience may be decreasing at an even faster pace. …
Vaccinated Americans like getting retail thank you freebies
New research suggests there is little downside for companies offering free products to Americans who have gotten vaccinated against COVID-19. Where do you come down on the business case for…
Will stock ownership work as a loyalty program perk?
The North Face, online retailer Kogan and meal kit provider Marley Spoon are among the many brands that recently began rewarding customers for their purchases with fractional shares of their…
Schnucks displays St. Louis pride with streetwear store-within-a-store concept
Regional grocer Schnuck Markets’ latest store concept experiment will let customers get themselves fashionably outfitted while getting their groceries. Do you see a lasting trend in supermarkets partnering with non-grocery brands…
What will greater access to Amazon’s customers mean for marketplace sellers?
Amazon.com recently launched a new tool, “Manage Your Customer Engagement (MYCE),” that allows some third-party sellers for the first time to market directly to the platform’s customers. How much value…
Can retailers wait any longer for government to move on climate change?
The Retail Industry Leaders Association, a group representing the largest retailers in the U.S., has come out in support of the goals outlined by President Joe Biden to cut the…
Amazon has mad upskills
Amazon plans to provide non-technical employees with the skills they need to move into software engineering roles. Do you think retailers, by and large, are making adequate investments in training…
Will Americans go shopping for dressier clothes as the COVID-19 threat is reduced?
Sweatpants may represent the wardrobe of the pandemic, but coming out of it, you might expect people to want to dress up as they re-enter public life. Will they? Will…
Say goodbye to Walmart’s robotic towers
Walmart is removing its automated in-store pickup towers from some of its locations and turning them off in others as it focuses on fulfilling orders at the curbside. What is…
Are associates better than influencers for shopping livestreams?
Livestreams are fast becoming the cable-cutting generations’ QVC. And who better to connect with local shoppers through livestreams than local associates? Should retailers use associates for livestreams rather than influencers?
Are restaurants ready for what comes next?
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…
Lululemon to pilot ‘Like New’ clothing test
Lululemon Athletica is the latest retailer to dip its toes into the secondhand, AKA recommerce or resale, clothing market. Do you expect lululemon’s “Like New” pilot program to prove successful…
Is Athleta’s Canadian expansion a stretch for the Gap-owned chain?
Gap Inc.’s Athleta business is on a roll. The women and girl’s athleisure clothing chain will open in the Canadian market for the first time later this year. The move…
Can West Elm tap influencer buzz?
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…
What goes into delivering a ‘wow’ shopping experience?
What defines a “wow” depends on the shopper and type of store, but hassle-free customer support is at the top of the list, finds a recent study from Wharton’s Baker…
Are pop-up shops the answer to getting reluctant shoppers back into stores?
Before the pandemic, pop-up stores had become a fashionable way for retailers to generate buzz. Now some are seeing them as a way for brands and retailers to get hesitant…
