The leadership team at Walmart failed to develop a positioning strategy for the two brands. It appeared that the strategy was simply to operate the two brands separately on the front end (the consumer facing functions), while integrating the back-end operations, creating a synergy for both. As I wrote in 2016, analyzing Walmart (Jet) versus Amazon in terms of its online power, there were some key metric differences. Jet.com gets: Walmart's size and deep pockets, (pushing to three-quarters of a trillion dollars vs. about a hundred billion …
Management
The Art and Science of Retail
If you were to distill what consumers want from any retail transaction down to two factors, it would be convenience and experience. And these two factors may even outweigh value and price if you deliver a meaningful experience that is imaginative, innovative and convenient. What is the glue that holds both together? Forward-thinking, cutting-edge tech solutions. So, here's a dreamworld scenario: You are in the unique position to blend your personal passion for art and creativity into a holistic program to enhance the retail experience …
How Quaint: Stores Are Back in Vogue
Whenever expert sources float out a major lemming-like prediction, there are three sequential reactions. The followers react in exaggerated ways, going to the extreme opposite Then they realize they over-reacted And finally, they learn that reality is somewhere in between the prediction and their exaggerated response This accurately describes the retail industry's three-phased reaction to Amazon's mercurial rise and the onset of e-commerce, particularly on smartphones. Extreme Measures The first extreme response was shock and …
Big Beauty Is in Serious Trouble
I don't make too many brilliant decisions in my life but opting to record this year's Golden Globes while I nipped out to watch "Little Women" at my local multiplex proved to be genuine goodie. Not only could I enjoy the feast-for-the eyes scenery and fine acting in Greta Gerwig's bracing take on the Louisa May Alcott classic (Saoirse! Timothée Chalamet!), I could also later watch - and rewind, multiple times - the jaw-dropping, scorched-earth Ricky Gervais opening monologue that had woke Hollywood squirming in its seats. Yikes. But because …
Lights Out at Fairway or Fairway’s Last Stand?
Fairway soon files for bankruptcy for the second time in recent years. Could total liquidation be far behind as reported by the New York Post? To generations of shoppers in New York City and its environs, Fairway has been a much-beloved food retailer that for many years managed to bring high-quality fresh product, especially produce, to consumers' tables at low cost. Beyond that, it offered a wide range of grocery and other perishable product making it an essential destination for discriminating foodies and a full shopping experience. In …
RH Ahead of Wall Street Transforming an Industry
In late December, I had two out-of-this-world experiences. Out of this world, but into the universe created by RH CEO, Gary Friedman. The first experience was among the thousand-plus Champagne drinking celebrators attending the opening of The RH Gallery at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. The second was a deep immersion into the world of Gary Friedman. The opening was the launch of museum-quality RH Galleries, housing upscale furnishings. There are now about 70 Galleries across the US. A little over a year ago, Warren Shoulberg, a …
Can Lululemon Be to Men What It Is to Women, Or Does It Even Matter?
Back in 2014 when Lululemon introduced its first line of men's wear, it had a lot of people scratching their heads. At the time, Brian Sozzi, at-the-time chief equities strategists at Belus Capital and a contributor to Men's Health, felt the brand was too tightly aligned with women and that it faced an uphill battle to attract men. "I have never been helped by a male store associate at Lululemon and the brand seems to mostly attract women," he said. "It's seen as a very pro-female brand and that is intimidating to men." Yet pivoting to men's …
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Who is Tractor Supply Co, and Why Did Hal Lawton Go There?
Chances are if you live east of the Hudson River, or in many urban areas of the country, you were probably not very familiar with Tractor Supply Co. before the news broke last week that Hal Lawton was leaving his post as president of New York Macy's to join the Brentwood, Tennessee retailer as CEO. And even if you knew of TSC you've probably never been in one of their stores and most likely never envisioned it as something along the lines of a cross between a farm vehicle repair garage and Drucker's General Store on the old Green Acres TV …
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