Few industries have the stream of data that retail does to self-reflexively judge itself in real time. However, last week brought a trove of information on how wearable devices are faring with customers (hint: well), the travails of opening a small business (hint: risky) and...
REI might have been riding high after its announcement to close stores on Black Friday, but a Reddit interview with CEO Jerry Stritzke turned sour.
Obviously, there exist many different paths to purchase. But what can be forgotten in that consideration is that there are many different ages of people taking those paths -- and, as a recent SSI study bore out, any consumer’s generation is essential in defining what...
There’s no gift that says, “It’s the thought that counts,” quite like a gift card. The last-minute choice of harried shoppers and slackers alike, the gift card has taken on prominence in recent years as a particularly profitable offering for retailers during the holiday shopping...
While Uber is busy expanding internationally and fending off regulatory battles, its competitors are still at the drawing board trying to come up with ways to stem the momentum of the ride-hailing industry’s undisputed leader. That’s proven to be an uphill battle, though, as rivals like...
If merchants can’t stand the heat of a changing retail landscape, they best get out of the kitchen. But what happens when brands allege that the profusion of on-demand delivery services only allows third-party couriers to make a buck off their backs while degrading their...
Some retailers are making a big show of the fact they won’t be open on Thanksgiving, or going “all in” on Black Friday. Is it genuine altruism, or is it simply an opportunistic means of generating more business throughout the holiday season by associating themselves...
Whole Foods isn’t like any other grocery chain, and its executives have tried hard to make it that way. Rising to the top of the heap during the mid-2000s health food craze, Whole Foods is now a standby of the premium grocery market. However, what...
Few retail tech advances have come with the aura that surrounds beacons and location-based marketing. However, just because pundits believe a technology will take off doesn’t mean retailers feel the same way. Are merchants adopting beacons? Are they using them in innovative and unexpected ways?...
