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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Neiman Marcus launches digital hub to bring the in-store experience online
Neiman Marcus has created a digital hub, Your Neiman’s, to address the challenge of bringing high-touch service to customers during the coronavirus crisis. Will bringing elements of the in-store experience…
What can you learn about ecommerce sales driving on the NJ Turnpike?
Ron Margulis did a small study on ecommerce success on a drive down the New Jersey Turnpike, counting the brand names on the trucks along the way. Which retailers…
Are boycotts becoming bigger risks?
Goya and Whole Foods are two brands currently facing boycotts in today’s politically-charged climate. Two new surveys indicate that consumer boycotts are becoming more pervasive. What is driving the apparent…
Will COVID-19 bludgeon Halloween sales?
Only 27 percent of U.S. adults anticipate seeing kids trick-or-treat on October 31, according to a Harris Poll taken in mid-July. Yet neither Hershey, Mars Wrigley nor Spirit Halloween are…
Retailers need to reorganize like a 21st century business
With the onset of the coronavirus crisis, terms that many retailers were just starting to explore became part of everyday conversations. How should traditional retail organizations be restructured to accommodate…
Has retail permanently downsized?
There’s no doubt that the novel coronavirus pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the industry with little guarantee that many or even most of the jobs lost to date…
Retail shrink rose to all-time high in 2019
Buoyed by increased incidents and new ways to steal, theft, fraud and losses from other retail “shrink” rose to $61.7 billion in 2019, according to the annual “National Retail Security…
Should online marketplaces be required to verify third-party sellers for safety’s sake?
Home Depot, Walgreens and many of the largest retailers in the U.S. are throwing their support behind proposed legislation that would require online marketplace operators such as Amazon to verify…
Best Buy connects strong sales to frontline worker performance
Best Buy has made an important connection between its frontline workers and sales performance – demonstrating that taking care of one will ensure good results in the other. Do you…
Is there a path to profitable grocery delivery?
Despite dramatic growth in grocery deliveries due to the pandemic, grocers are not necessarily making higher profits. How critical will eliminating data silos be to driving grocery delivery profitability?
How can retail advance more women to leadership supply chain roles?
Women currently make up a greater percentage of chief supply chain executives, chief procurement officers, senior vice presidents and executive vice presidents than at any time in the past four…
It is a different year. Walmart is closing on Thanksgiving.
The list of retailers opening stores on Thanksgiving Day has been growing for years, but 2020 has one notable exception as Walmart has announced that it will close its namesake…
Will Walmart, Target, Kroger and other chains fix America’s plastic bag problem?
Rivals CVS, Kroger, Target, Walgreens and Walmart have joined together in a consortium focused on finding a better, more eco-friendly solution to America’s plastic bag waste problem.. Do you think…
How can retailers cope with anxiety about the future?
Completely rearranging daily routines and continually adapting amid significant uncertainty can take a huge toll on the spirits of store owners and managers. What suggestions would you have for chain…
Can Trader Joe’s shake off its racist branding tag?
Trader Joe’s has announced that it plans to rename its private label items branded as Trader Giotto, Trader Jose and Trader Ming’s after an online petition signed by more than…
Will wholesaling change L.L.Bean for the better?
L.L.Bean’s heritage has always been selling DTC, but that’s about to change. Bean has signed wholesale agreements to supply its own brand products to Nordstrom, Staples and Scheels. Do you…
Google breaks into mobile video shopping
Google has launched Shoploop, a video shopping platform “for discovering, evaluating and buying products, all in one place.” What do you think of the opportunity around video shopping and which…
Why does it take a crisis for retailers to get innovative?
The COVID-19 crisis has led to tremendous innovation and experimentation on the part of just about every retailer. What lessons does the COVID-19 crisis offer about the barriers retail management…
How will digital transform trade shows?
The National Retail Federation and Shoptalk are among the many organizations that have seemingly recreated their trade shows overnight as virtual events. Which parts of the traditional trade show may…
Will the return of sports bring a bonanza for retail?
All of the major sports leagues will be resuming play over the next two months, promising to deliver a frenzy of action and intrigue. Do you see a huge marketing…
Struggling retailers lay off workers and pay millions in executive bonuses
J.C. Penney, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus are three retailers that have at least one thing in common—all three have paid or are trying to pay millions in bonuses to their…
