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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Is the clock ticking on TikTok?
TikTok is facing restrictions in some U.S. states, with some government figures pushing for more comprehensive, and even federal, bans, with big implications for brands and retailers promoting content on…
Will Walmart throw high-price suppliers off the shelf?
Inflation has become enough of an issue to rattle Walmart’s everyday low price positioning and the chain is considering taking a drastic move that may keep its customers happy, but…
‘Just in time’ and ‘just in case’ systems leave retailers with too much inventory
Too many retailers had the bad habit of over-buying long before the pandemic created the supply chain chaos we are still living through. “Just in time” systems failed to prevent…
Can Express find success teaming up with Toys ‘R’ Us’ owner?
Express is one of many apparel brands struggling to find new relevance without the draw they once enjoyed during the heyday of the shopping mall. Now the brand is entering…
Will Super Saturday be the most super ever?
Tomorrow is going to be a big day for retail, perhaps the biggest. A record number of consumers are expected to go shopping tomorrow (AKA Super Saturday), according to a forecast…
Will in-store pickup make livestream shopping more attractive to Americans?
Best Buy customers watching its livestream shopping events will now have the option of placing orders for in-store pickup. It marks the first time that pickup is being offered on…
James Bond and retailers look to a new Q in their next chapters
If you watched the most recent James Bond movie, you know how it ended and therefore understand some changes are on the horizon for upcoming features. Retail barcodes are on…
Will Christmas 2022 be the terminal squish of retail’s mushy middle?
Retail’s long-struggling “mushy middle,” consisting of mid-price retailers without a strong value proposition and brand identity, has taken a bigger holiday hit than more strongly differentiated retailers, according to one…
RIP Sears Hometown
Put a fork in it. Sears Hometown is truly done. The company, made up of franchisees currently operating about 100 small stores selling appliances, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden…
Has mental health become a retail marketing issue?
Mental health oriented messaging is quickly becoming table stakes for retailers that cater to next gen consumers. Seventy-one percent of Gen Z consumers like when brands make mental health a…
Macy’s is ‘speechless’ and Wegmans says ‘the more we get together, the happier we will be’
Macy’s and Wegmans are going for the heart strings in round six of the 2022 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. Which one will join Etsy, Kroger, Publix, Amazon.com and Aldi UK…
Will ‘hat-heads’ go for limited edition drops at Lids?
Hat retailer Lids has launched a new store concept called Lids Hat Drop, which will focus on giving customers access to exclusive new products on a weekly basis. Do you…
Is ‘Total Home’ a strategy that Lowe’s can build on?
Lowe’s last week updated its plan to drive market share growth in the home improvement category. The chain’s “Total Home Strategy” seeks to achieve growth across five areas: professional contractors…
Will 2023 become the year that consumers get comfortable with dynamic pricing?
This holiday season has ushered in a period of peak price-sensitivity. Consumers continue to wonder whether or not we’re in a recession, and while spending is continuing on, there’s certainly…
Holiday shoppers have a need for speed
Customers are looking for solutions that get them in and out of the store quickly and effectively this holiday season, according to a new study. How can retailers speed up…
Is Toys ‘R’ Us just playing around with NFTs or serious about the opportunity?
The new Toys “R” Us has been making more innovative, on-trend moves than it did before its most recent relaunch and that now extends to getting involved in Web 3.0. The…
7-Eleven tops best grocery store list
These days, the favorite grocery store in the U.S. is not even a supermarket, a new survey says. Why are more people shopping at 7-Eleven and other convenience stores for…
Did retailers miss a marketing opportunity by sitting out the World Cup broadcasts?
The World Cup has been a missed opportunity for the major players in the retail industry. Only one retailer, Walmart, has created a meaningful, themed campaign to run during the…
Will Amazon’s customers go for its pay-for-data scheme?
Amazon.com is offering to pay some of its customers for access to their data in efforts to improve ad targeting, offering $2 dollars per month to a select group of…
Will Starbucks’ new tipping prompt tick off customers?
Tipping at Starbucks is as voluntary as it is anywhere in the U.S., but a new digital payment solution is now making it tough and awkward to avoid doing so…
Are retailers failing to keep up with the Joneses?
No demographic group is monolithic, and this is particularly true of Baby Boomers whose generation stretches nearly 20 years. And one thing is certain: marketing to early or late Boomers in…
