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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Amazon Prime and Shopify extend their reach into each other’s territories
Amazon.com is looking for growth beyond its own platform. The company yesterday said it was making its “Buy with Prime” program, which offers the same easy checkout, free shipping and…
Do drinking and shopping mix?
Tempe Marketplace and Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix on Jan. 12 will become the first outdoor shopping centers in Arizona to allow shoppers to drink alcohol as they shop. Do…
Rite Aid puts out ‘help wanted’ sign for a new CEO
Rite Aid yesterday said that board member Elizabeth “Busy” Burr has been named interim CEO of the company, effective immediately. She replaces Heyward Donigan who has led the drugstore chain…
Are ‘price frictions’ undercutting product sales?
A new university study finds some retailers may be slower to reduce prices to stimulate sales due to “price frictions,” for example, reluctance to move away from prices that end…
Is now the time for retailers to double down on cloud investments?
Microsoft last week was downgraded by UBS as field checks showed slower growth for cloud software providers, including Microsoft’s Azure unit. The downgrade comes as the cloud computing providers reported…
Stitch Fix’s woes reflect a broader subscription box problem
Stitch Fix CEO Elizabeth Spaulding’s exit last week and plans by the company to lay off 20 percent of its workforce mark another troubling sign for the subscription box category…
Is ‘quiet hiring’ the next big thing in labor?
“Quiet hiring,” defined as when an organization acquires new skills without actually hiring new full-time employees, may become the next big trend affecting labor just as the “great resignation” and…
Is Bed Bath & Beyond nearing the end of the line?
Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within a matter of weeks, according to reports from numerous news outlets. Will the current plan in place…
Nike gets Netflix viewers moving
Those Netflix subscribers with a New Year’s resolution to get in shape can now pursue their fitness goals using exclusive content from one of the biggest names in athletics. Nike…
Is green hushing just prudent risk management?
A newly recognized practice, “green hushing,” finds brands deliberately downplaying, underreporting or keeping silent about their emissions and carbon-offsetting targets. Do you see more benefits than drawbacks in companies toning down…
Will others follow Shopify’s lead and cancel recurring meetings?
So many meetings. So little time left to get actual work done. Shopify isn’t having it anymore, at least for the next two weeks as part of a meeting freeze…
Bloomingdale’s looks to make more with less
Bloomingdale’s is going small in Seattle, saying it will open a new Bloomie’s, its small off-mall store concept, this year in University Village in the Ravenna neighborhood, north of the…
Can enhanced self-checkout stop shrink?
Self-checkout may be quick and convenient, but it is not uncommon for retailers to find that the technology allows an unacceptable level of shrink. To combat the problem, some vendors…
Are experiences stealing discretionary dollars away from retail?
Falling coronavirus case levels and fewer restrictions drove a strong recovery in spending on experiences in 2022 and they appear to be continuing to take significant discretionary dollars away from…
Do retailers need a different retention strategy for older workers?
According to a recent McKinsey survey of U.S. retail workers, a lack of supportive colleagues was the leading cause of attrition for those 45 and older while ranking as the…
Victoria’s Secret CEO stepping down after eight months on the job
Amy Hauk is stepping down as CEO of Victoria’s Secret on March 31 after having just been named to lead the lingerie giant in July. Do you expect that Amy…
Can a hospitality bigwig bring new life to Under Armour?
In a surprise move, Under Armour last week named Stephanie Linnartz, the current president of Marriott International, as its third CEO. What do you think of the hiring of Stephanie…
Rite Aid looks to become an Rx oasis inside ‘pharmacy deserts’
In a new pilot, Rite Aid Corp. is opening mini-locations in rural areas in order to serve “pharmacy deserts” and underserved communities. Do you see growth opportunities for Rite Aid…
Are any alternative in-store payments about to break out?
After ramping up efforts to reduce friction in the online shopping experience over the pandemic, retailers are now reportedly focusing their investments on the in-store payment process. Will scan &…
Will Walmart customers ‘Text to Shop’?
Walmart is rolling out a “Text to Shop” feature that allows customers to add items to their online shopping basket using text messages. To work, the free feature must be…
What’s up with the stalled Amazon Fresh openings?
Throughout the U.S., a number of new Amazon Fresh stores have been built out, but are just sitting there, leading some to wonder if Amazon is quietly backing away from…
