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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Forget Technology: Retailers Need to Master the Basics
The retail world abuzz with the latest technologies that can “transform” stores into surefire profit centers by “tricking out” with the latest and greatest technology. In reality, many retailers can…
Is Walgreens Trying to Do Too Much?
As Al McClain listened to Greg Wasson, president and CEO of Walgreens talk about Walgreens’ countless initiatives last week at Shop.org, he found himself thinking back to a book written…
CE Chain hhgregg Sells Couches to Couch Potatoes
If you’re involved in the business of selling products that people watch or listen to while sitting on furniture, why not sell them furniture as well? That’s the decision that…
Curing the ‘Magic Bullet Syndrome’
There’s some good news in RSR’s annual merchandising benchmark report, but it’s not all sunshine and birds. Though they believe virtually all modern tools and techniques are at least “somewhat…
Moosejaw Leverages Its Small Size
Sometimes, being the “little guy” can be an advantage. In an interview with RetailWire last week at Shop.org, Dan Pingree, VP of marketing for Moosejaw, and Dominique Levin, the VP…
Free Shipping: Perk or Permanent?
To offer free shipping on online purchases as a perk or a guarantee? That appears to be the question, as Neiman Marcus last week became the latest retailer to move…
Will Shutdown Bah-Humbug Holidays For Retailers?
The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) announcement yesterday that it was projecting a sales increase of 3.9 percent for November and December suggested retailers could look forward to good, if not…
Why Journey Mapping is Critical to Your Business
In a recent blog, Forrester senior analyst Jonathan Browne put out a not-so-gentle reminder to take a step back when it comes to journey mapping. What are some common missteps…
My BestBuy.com Connects With Shoppers In a Big Way
Last June Best Buy announced it was overhauling BestBuy.com and integrating it with its Rewards Zone loyalty program. Now the consumer electronics chain’s increased emphasis on its digital business appears…
Google Glass: A First Person Account
A recently released a study on wearable computing found the majority of consumers are not ready for wearables. But BrainTrust panelist Karen Herman says, “This study’s findings are in direct…
Will Predictive Tech and Same-Day Delivery Revolutionize Retail?
In the often-referenced sci-fi movie “Minority Report,” Tom Cruise walks into a Gap, is instantly recognized and receives tailored purchase recommendations. But what if predictive technologies accurately anticipated his needs…
Walmart vs. Publix in Battling BOGOs
Back in March, RetailWire discussed whether Publix was likely to be successful in a campaign combating Walmart’s price comparison ads. Among the points made by Publix was that its buy…
Will Ship From Store Neutralize Amazon?
A growing number of retailers are using stores as mini distribution centers to fulfill online orders. In the end, the chains believe they’ll gain a competitive advantage over Amazon.com and…
Off-Price Chains Go Online
A number of reasons have been given for off-price retailers to stay away from e-commerce, like losing the treasure hunt in stores, supply issues, and shipping costs. What do you…
Creating E-mail Campaigns That Work
E-mail practices have significantly changed over the past five years reports Return Path, an e-mail marketing solution, in a recent study. But many of these practices appear to be not…
What Won’t Change in the Future?
Perhaps instead of asking what will be different ten years from now, maybe we should ask what won’t change? That’s one approach Jeff Bezos takes when deciding where to focus…
dunnhumby: Menards is Most Customer Centric DIY Chain
What is customer centricity? “The most customer-centric retailers put the customer first in every decision that they make or strategy that they create.” How do you define customer centricity? Which…
Is iOS7 Making People Sick?
With the first generation of any new software release, there are always bugs to work out and .3 or .4 is certain to result in fewer headaches and upset stomachs…
RSR Research: Mobile Apps or Mobile Sites?
One view is that mobile apps are crucial to future retailing success. But there’s also the view such as when one individual on a vendor briefing call stated, “Retailers aren’t…
Surveys Say: Online Shopping Improves During Holidays
According to a new survey, a quarter of U.K. consumers feel that their online shopping experience is “significantly better” or “slightly better” during the holiday shopping period. Why do you…
Study Finds Values Drive Purchasing Choices
While value-driven consumers have been receiving a lot of attention in recent years, Amazon Advertising, part of Publicis Worldwide, has defined a new group of progressive consumers driven by their…
