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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
7-Eleven tries out an Amazon Go-like store
Convenience store giant 7-Eleven has announced it is testing a “cashierless” concept at its corporate headquarters in Irving, TX. Do you think there is a real future for cashierless stores…
Will a brand refresh make Shipt a household name?
Shipt, the same-day delivery service founded in 2014 and acquired by Target in 2017, has ditched its rocket ship imagery and rolled out a new green shopping bag graphic as…
Should retailers brag about doing good?
Younger generations appear to be split on whether brands and retailers should be promoting their eco- or socially-conscious credentials. How loudly should retailers and brands talk about their sustainability or…
Crate and Barrel marries human expertise with tech advances in a new concept store
Crate and Barrel is piloting a standalone store concept that lets customers take advantage of all of their design and decorating expertise and guidance in one physical location. Will a…
Did Barnes & Noble engage in ‘literary blackface’?
No doubt, Barnes & Noble thought it was making a good business move when it came up with the idea for its Diverse Editions project in its flagship store on…
Will Macy’s cut its way to improved margins and future growth?
Macy’s, Inc. CEO Jeff Gennette says the department store operator has a bottom line problem and now he has a new and improved three-year plan that he says will help…
Can a new off-price retailer find treasure without opening stores?
A new discounter in Los Angeles is trying to make an online-only indie brand treasure hunt a reality. Do you think that an off-price apparel retailer can thrive online?
Retailers share how they make the most of their trade show visits
Each year we ask successful retailers how they make each trade show trip profitable. Here are some of their top secrets. Which of the tips above do you find most…
Is Forever 21 a wise investment for its new mall landlord owners?
Mall operators Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners, along with the licensing firm Authentic Brands Group, have made a deal to acquire virtually all of Forever 21’s assets just…
Can luxury retail attract a new generation of shoppers?
“I think the strategy for Millennials is actually not to have any strategy for Millennials, because they can smell it,” said Laurent Claquin, president of Kering Americas, the major European…
Aerie looks to role model ambassadors to drive change
Aerie, the lingerie brand owned by American Eagle, recently added eight new role model ambassadors — including actors, scientists and activists — in support of its 2020 #AerieREAL campaign designed…
Which commercial won the Super Bowl?
While fans of the Kansas City Chiefs are happy today and San Francisco 49er faithful are not, we’re not going to talk about the Super Bowl. We’re here to discuss…
Is Amazon’s speed killing the competition?
The numbers of customers using Prime’s one-day and same-day delivery more than quadrupled in the fourth quarter to help drive healthy holiday sales for Amazon.com. Has success at executing one-day…
IKEA makes a data promise to its customers
IKEA last week announced a set of principles and approaches to how it uses data called “The Customer Data Promise.” The stated goal is to have “people feel as safe…
Will a resale shop deliver bigger sales for Nordstrom?
Secondhand clothing has found a home at Nordstrom. The department store retailer has launched a new resale concept — See You Tomorrow — online and at the Nordstrom flagship in…
Is hot food the ingredient Amazon Go has been lacking?
When Amazon Go launched it was billed as the future of the convenience store, but the fully-automated retail store had one notable omission — no hot bar. Now, Amazon has…
Kimberly-Clark solves some mysteries around click-and-collecting
Kimberly-Clark noted that something was getting in the way of selling tampons and Kleenex to click-and-collect shoppers that wasn’t similarly inhibiting companies selling foods and beverages. It decided to investigate…
Is it ethical for resellers to raise the price of Kobe Bryant merchandise?
Prices on Kobe Bryant sneakers and jerseys soared two to three times within 24 hours following news of the sudden death of the Los Angeles Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant. Is…
Will 2020 be the year of less flash and more substance for in-store tech?
At the NRF Big Show this year, one could say there was a more sobering mood to technology adoption by retailers. How should retailers balance the drive to constantly innovate…
Etsy’s diversity push seeks to ‘keep commerce human’
Etsy announced yesterday that it has made strides toward its goal of doubling the percentage of Black and Latinx (a person of Latin American origin or descent)) employees in its…
The measured store, version 2.0
At the NRF Big Show, a number of startups in the Innovation Zone were dedicated to providing heat maps and other computer vision-based solutions for understanding consumer behavior in stores…
