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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Retailers and brands collide
In the golden age of brick-and-mortar retail, resellers and brands partnered closely to drive sales. Today, retailers and brands are pitted against one another in fierce competition. Do you expect…
Costco, Sam’s Club and the great Polish hot dog controversy
When news that Costco was revamping its snack bar menu to add more items designed to appeal to health-conscious club members, the chain decided to dump its Polish hot dogs,…
Employees are the best recruiters
According to the “2018 Reputation Management Study” from MRINetwork, employee referrals are the most popular way job candidates seek to evaluate employers, outdoing even company websites. Have employee referrals, reviews…
Prime Day success extends beyond Amazon
Rising tides do lift all boats, or it appears at least some of them when the metaphor is extended to retail. While Amazon.com announced that it had set a new…
Petco pilots experiential store concept for fur babies
Amazon.com’s encroachment into pet food sales has been making the big players in brick-and-mortar pet supplies rethink their strategies. Now, Petco is trying its hand at an experiential store concept…
Seven ways Gen Z is different that don’t include tech
Members of Generation Z are frequently identified as the first digital natives. But there is more to this financially sensitive, ethnically diverse group than mobile devices and Instagram. What aspects…
Will Kroger’s new app make customers healthier than those who shop at rivals?
Kroger has debuted OptUP, a new mobile app designed to put nutritional information in the hands of shoppers and assist them in making the right food choices for themselves and…
Walmart to take another shot at Netflix and Amazon, too
According to a new report, the Walmart is considering another shot at the video rental business with a subscription service that will allow members to view movies and television shows…
Target’s inside app continually crowdsources design ideas
Target has quietly launched an invite-only “Studio Connect” app to enable designers to gather feedback from Target’s customers. Is the “Studio Connect” app a win-win for Target’s designers and participating…
Walmart and Microsoft team up to slow Amazon’s roll
Walmart and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership intended to speed the retailer’s ongoing digital transformation. What will the new five-year cloud computing and AI deal between Microsoft and Walmart mean…
Direct-to-consumer brands key to Nordstrom’s assortment
Nordstrom has been putting together an assortment of products that customers won’t find at other retailers by partnering with direct-to-consumer brands. Does being a “partner of choice” for many direct-to-consumer…
Abercrombie & Fitch brings pop-ups and more to hotels
Abercrombie & Fitch has partnered with sbe, the lifestyle hospitality company, on a series of co-branded events and pop-up shops to support its A&F Club, currently with more than 4.5…
Target offers discounts as teachers prep for back-to-school
Target is introducing a 15 percent discount for teachers as part of its back-to-school selling efforts. Is targeting teachers during the back-to-school selling season more of a sales or goodwill…
Need a nap? Casper opened a store for that
Last week, Casper, the bed-in-box brand, opened The Dreamery in lower Manhattan, a lounge where consumers pay $25 for a 45-minute nap. How would you rate the expansion potential of…
Can Papa John’s recover from its founder’s racial slur?
Papa John’s chairman, John Schnatter, last week resigned over using a racial slur against African Americans on a conference call with a marketing company. But the fallout appears far from…
Did Build-A-Bear destroy its brand with a successful promotion?
Build-A-Bear Workshop’s “Pay Your Age” promotion yesterday drew such large crowds that many had to be turned away when locations were closed due to “safety concerns.” Should Build-A-Bear have anticipated the chaos to come from its ‘Pay…
Ellison shaking things up at Lowe’s
It didn’t take long for Lowe’s new president and CEO, Marvin Ellison, to begin shaking things up at the home improvement chain. Will his previous experience at Home Depot help…
Nike launches digitally-led store
Nike has introduced “Nike Live,” a retail concept that promises to “unite digital and physical shopping experiences for its consumers, and to further personalize the NikePlus Member in-store journey.” How…
Survey: Customer experience tech rivals personal attention from staff
According to a study from Boomtown, “digital forward” brick and mortar stores and restaurants have raised consumer expectations with their on-premise tech-investments. Do small independent stores and restaurants get punished…
New CEO focused on keeping the Dunkin’ brand relevant
David Hoffmann, the newly named CEO of Dunkin’ Brands, knows what it takes to keep the brand relevant in the minds of consumers — and it isn’t doughnuts. Do you…
Google and Shopify team up to blunt Amazon’s digital ad push
Google is making it easier for retailers and brands to get their ads out on some of the media giant’s most popular platforms, and it’s using Shopify to do it…
