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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
New Whole Foods’ store-within-a-store concept is ‘rooted in nature’
One of the most closely-watched players in the grocery world, Amazon-owned Whole Foods, has opened a boutique in one of its locations that takes the retailer into new, non-food territory…
Walmart looks to win talent war with new education benefit
With unemployment in the U.S. at a 17-year-low, retailers and other employers are finding it difficult to fill open positions. Walmart has added a new educational benefit that enables associates…
Retailers ready to battle card companies over one-click payments
Visa and Mastercard are discussing partnering to create a universal one-click button to eliminate the final pain-point to online purchases: the complicated checkout process. But retailers have concerns. Should retailers…
Best Buy finds more inventory on hand drives sales
Best Buy has been on a roll with a same-store sales gain of 7.1 percent in the first quarter following a nine-point comp gain during the fourth quarter. Among the…
MealPal brings subscription savings to lunch
MealPal, a subscription service that promises more than 40 percent off lunch for consumers, continues to gain traction. The service launched this month in Seattle, its fourteenth city. How likely…
Is GDPR an opportunity or a threat to retailers?
A new study from IBM reveals that 59 percent of organizations surveyed are embracing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as an opportunity to improve privacy, security and data management. Does GDPR…
Publix pulls political funding amid anti-gun protests
Florida-based Publix on Friday suspended corporate-funded political contributions after being called out by gun control advocates for donations to Adam Putnam, a candidate for governor who supports the National Rifle…
Kohl’s emphasizes cash in merging of rewards program
Kohl’s is unifying its three rewards program — Kohl’s Charge, Kohl’s Cash and Yes2You Rewards — in an overhaul that emphasizes cash back over points, offers rewards for non-cardholders for…
Target’s new Instagrammable collaboration is a sweet deal
Between Macy’s acquisition of the experiential retailer, STORY, and Westfield’s hiring of Tony-winning Broadway producer Scott Sanders, it seems that the future of a store may not be a store at all. What…
Millennials spend like crazy on their ‘fur-babies’
Sales of pet products are on the rise and Millennials are leading the charge. Out of the 72 percent of Millennials that own pets, 67 percent consider these pets their…
Convenience is king as new-gen vending units add meal kits
Thanks to a partnership between two startups, meal kits might start popping up in an unexpected physical location: the vending machine in the office lobby. Are smart vending machines a…
1-800-Flowers stays a step ahead of disruptive tech
To make sure a newer technology would not have the chance to disrupt 1-800-Flowers’ business, management instilled a culture of exploring, testing and deploying new technologies. What do you think of 1-800-Flowers.com’s…
Kroger to become meal kit force with Home Chef deal
Less than a week after announcing an exclusive deal with Ocado, Kroger has reached an agreement to acquire Home Chef, the largest privately-owned meal kit company in the U.S. Do…
Is excess space behind retail’s shrink and customer experience problems?
Many of us have had the experience of walking into a big box store where there are no employees to be found. In fact, there are plenty of reports that…
AriZona Iced Tea taps ’90s nostalgia with pop-up
AriZona Iced Tea, founded in Brooklyn in 1992 as a value proposition to the initial craze around Snapple, last weekend opened a streetwear-themed pop-up to celebrate its 25th anniversary. What…
Best Buy’s Geek Squad is now available by subscription
Best Buy has launched its Total Tech Support Powered by Geek Squad subscription program nationwide to help customers get the help they need with all their technology-related issues. What effect…
Lessons in goodwill and the power of feelings
Customer experience continues to be a hot topic in retail. But when you talk with customers, there is something more. Something much deeper. Customers often describe their best experiences in…
New organic grocery concept is an educational experience
West Coast regional grocer Raley’s is introducing an element of education into its new organic store concept, named Market 5-ONE-FIVE, promising to feature in-store experts such as chefs, “foodies,” urban…
Amazon bans chronic returners
Amazon.com is known for its generous return policy. Customers expect that Amazon will make the wrong purchase right — every time. But now the e-tailer is banning customers it believes…
Ellison leaves Penney, further fueling doubts
Quarterly results are big news on Wall Street, particularly for J.C. Penney. Do you think J.C. Penney is in trouble? Do you read anything into Penney’s prospects from the resignation…
Choosy marries AI and social tagging to disrupt fast fashion
A start-up claims to have developed an AI-driven platform that brings the most talked-about styles worn by celebrities and social media influencers to doorsteps within weeks. What do you think…
