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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
What should retailers do when brands post fake reviews?
What are retailers to do when they find brand partners are looking to tilt the selling scale in their favor by posting fake positive reviews of their own products online?…
Can b8ta do for fashion what it’s done for consumer tech?
B8ta announced the launch of Forum, a place to demo and experience new products from brands, and collect data on how customers are interacting with their products in-store. Can b8ta…
Seven things store managers should do now to be ready for Christmas
A focus on implementing a few best practices now can ensure a store’s team is optimally prepared for Christmas selling. What suggestions would you have for store managers on establishing…
Will Barneys find success setting up shops inside Saks Fifth Avenue?
A buyer has emerged in Barneys’ bankruptcy proceedings with the intention of opening Barneys shops inside Saks. Do Barneys-themed in-store shops inside Saks stores make sense for Saks and Barneys?
Should Amazon be charging for ‘curated’ toy guide placements?
Amazon.com charged as much as $2 million for brands to be featured in its just-released Holiday Toy List guide. Is paying big money for a toy circular sponsorship in line…
Jungle Jim’s delivers a foodie adventure
Part traditional supermarket, part theme park and part United Nations, a visit to Cincinnati-based Jungle Jim’s International Market is truly an event. Is retailtainment easier or harder for a supermarket…
Have Giant Food and Stop & Shop nailed ‘frictionless’ checkouts?
Retail Business Services, the technology services arm of Ahold Delhaize USA, has announced that its proprietary ScanIt Mobile frictionless checkout technology is being rolled out to nearly 30 of the…
Nearly half of online fashion shoppers say social media inspired their last purchase
Almost half (47.5 percent) of the 2,000 U.S. online fashion shoppers surveyed by Yotpo say their most recent online fashion purchase was inspired by social media. Has social media moved…
Have esports become more than a game for Five Below?
Five Below has teamed with Nerd Street Gamers, an esports infrastructure company that builds facilities known as Localhost that enable gamers to play in live, in-person events using professional level…
Is e-grocery less convenient than shopping in stores?
A Bain & Co. study concludes the reason online penetration remains so low in the grocery category versus others is because in-store shopping is still far more convenient. What parts…
Will debt-free college make Chipotle the place to work in the restaurant biz?
Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced that it is adding a new perk to its employee education benefits package — debt-free college degrees. How important are educational benefits in helping retailers…
Gymboree to get a new start as part of The Children’s Place
Gymboree was an 800-store retail chain before it shuttered all its locations earlier this year. Now, the brand is ready for a comeback, not as a standalone chain, but as…
Does Target need to address its associate morale problem?
CNN reports that it has interviewed 23 current and former employees of Target in recent months who said they actually are bringing home less than they did before the retailer…
Will shoe swapping be the new shoe shopping?
Women looking for new shoes to wear without adding to the collection they have accumulated will now have an option to swap online, thanks to a new Los Angeles-based startup…
UK’s largest sporting goods chain calls for probe of Nike-Adidas dominance
Sports Direct, the UK’s largest sporting goods chain, is calling for a Europe-wide investigation into the dominance of Nike and Adidas in sports retailing. Do retailers have any rights to…
Will customers give Walmart the keys to their homes?
Walmart has announced that it is launching its InHome Delivery program which gives Walmart delivery people access to customers’ garages or homes where they will put refrigerated and frozen products…
Why are grocers still missing the mark with small food brands?
Growth in the food industry lately has come from small brands, despite facing huge market disadvantages. Does the slotting-fee culture in the grocery channel still weigh heavily against smaller brands?
Amazon makes its social positions public
Retail titan Amazon.com has recently released and publicized a list of its stances on political and social issues. Do you think it’s a good idea for companies to enumerate and…
Will Best Buy wrap up Black Friday sales with a price match guarantee in October?
For the first time, Best Buy is launching a promotion on select TVs and home theater products that includes a guarantee basically promising to refund the difference should the price…
Is BOPIS a good fit for Dollar General?
In coming months, Dollar General will become the first dollar store chain to test BOPIS at select stores. The service will initially be offered through the DG GO! mobile app…
REI ventures into drop shipping
REI has become the latest retailer to roll out vendor direct shipments to help expand its online offerings. Does drop shipping make more sense for retailers such as REI and…
