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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Do sampled freebies drive loyalty?
A new study concludes that the use of free sampling often comes up short as a marketing tool, as many campaigns aim to bring new customers to a brand’s products…
Retailers give customers refunds and tell them to keep items
Offering refunds without requiring the return is being adopted more broadly by retailers during the pandemic, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Does it make sense to offer refunds…
Did Amazon Pantry outlive its usefulness?
Amazon.com last week discontinued its single large box service known as Amazon Pantry. The service had been seen as a way to sell less expensive household items online that would…
What will drive consumer tech sales in 2021?
Propelled by pandemic needs, consumer tech sales in the U.S. saw their strongest growth in 2020 in at least seven years, according to NPD Group’s “Future of Tech” forecast. How…
Should your DNA data be used to sell products?
Privately owned companies, such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com, are accumulating massive databases since genetic testing kits first appeared on the market, and these genetic datasets are finding their way into…
Are brands seeing a halo effect from ads on retailers’ online platforms?
As advertising dollars have shifted from traditional media to digital platforms run by retailers, consumer product brands have speculated that there is a “halo effect” happening. How convinced are you…
Will meatless burgers moo-ve in on beef’s market share as prices fall?
Impossible Foods announced yesterday that it is cutting the price of its Impossible Burger patties for the second time in under a year. Do you think prices more in line…
Will going public lead to riches or ruin for Wish?
Wish, an e-commerce marketplace offering cheap, sometimes bizarre products, factory direct from China, went public in December of 2020. After an early drop in share price, investors are not so…
How did QR codes go from DOA to killer app?
About a decade ago QR codes were looking like a hot new technology, but without a pressing use case and with minimal customer adoption, they’d become more of a running…
Have retailers solved their long line problems?
Outside line monitoring, reservations, time limits and mobile checkout are some ways retailers have been managing customer queues during the pandemic. Do you see the pandemic helping to drive innovation…
Chewy is barking up the right tree when it comes to customer loyalty
Chewy has built a loyal customer following with the fundamental understanding that pet parents regard their fur babies as significant members of their families. Do you see the customer service…
Are local retailers ready to flex their omnichannel muscles?
By many indications, scores of independent retailers have rushed to launch or expand e-commerce, introduce curbside pickup and local delivery and amplify their social media presence to survive the pandemic…
Albertsons ditching in-house drivers to deliver online orders
Albertsons Cos. has announced that some of its stores in California will stop using its own employees to deliver online grocery orders beginning on Feb. 27 and move to independent…
Do retailers need to jump on the e-gift card bandwagon?
While gift cards were once considered to be impersonal or a means to a quick and easy last-minute gift, that is no longer the case. Usage, particularly in e-gift cards,…
Will store closings in 2021 beat last year’s record total?
COVID-19 accelerated the rationalization of retail’s over-stored environment and the pace of closures isn’t expected to slow. Will the pressure for retail chains to close stores increase or lessen in…
Will Giant Food’s shelf labels with diversity call-outs drive sales?
Ahold Delhaize USA’s Giant Food chain has become the first U.S. grocer to identify products owned by minority businesses on shelf labels. Do you see many benefits to calling out…
J.C. Penney is searching for a new CEO
J.C. Penney’s CEO Jill Soltau has exited a month after the retailer emerged from bankruptcy proceedings through a sale to Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management. What do you…
Is it time for retailers to reconsider Instacart?
Instacart helped grocers meet unprecedented demand throughout the pandemic, but some grocers are finding a weakness — they’re not making any money. What factors do you think will influence retailers’…
Curbside cocktails anyone?
In time for New Year’s Eve, North Carolina and Oregon have joined at least 30 other states in allowing restaurants and bars to sell mixed drinks for offsite consumption. Do…
Will the FAA’s new rules speed commercialization of drones?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday issued guidelines that will soon require remote identification for any drone that has to be registered with the FAA in what could expand…
Are the benefits of ghost kitchens more spectral than real?
Ghost kitchens have experienced a drastic increase in interest thanks to the surge in online ordering triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Some experts in the foodservice world, however, say that…
