Operations

When Walmart purchased Marc Lore’s Jet.com online business in 2016, it was supposed to be the start of an amazing new ecommerce strategy for the world’s largest retailer. It hasn’t quite worked out that way. This week Walmart announced it sold its Moosejaw outdoor business to Dick’s Sporting Goods, marking one more divestiture of Lore’s vision to onboard a group of niche higher end brands and make Walmart.com a true competitor to Amazon. Along with Moosejaw, Lore oversaw the acquisitions of Bonobos, ModCloth, the Shoes.com URL and several …

Walmart’s Deconstruction of Lore’s Legacy Continues with Moosejaw SaleRead More

As retail resale has evolved from Goodwill and the neighborhood thrift store to the myriad of recommerce websites, we have witnessed a watershed moment in fashion. Secondhand goods have become highly sought after by an increasingly demographically diverse group of consumers. And at the apex of this movement are Next Gen buyers. However, the duality of Gen Z’s sustainability mindset alongside their obsession with fast fashion is one of today’s major “squaring the circle” quandaries. Getting on the Brand Wagon With the growth of secondhand …

Upcycling and the New ReTailorRead More

Walmart versus Target? Check. Kroger and Albertsons versus the FTC and Congress? Check. Aldi versus Lidl? Check. Dollar stores versus...well, versus all of the above? Check. If you’re keeping score, 2023 promises to be one of the most turbulent years ever in the business of selling groceries, with skirmishes, battles and out-and-out wars happening across the entire channel. Just about every major player in the segment is in the middle of some sort of upheaval, major expansion or at the very least confrontation that together promise …

Food for ThoughtRead More

Looking back on NRF 2023, many of us were relieved that it didn’t focus on the Metaverse and NFTs this year. CEOs on the keynote stage talked about getting the stores right with better locations and optimal formats. Exhibitors and retailer attendees advocated for technologies that truly optimize the box. As I walked an average of five miles a day through the show floors, there was plenty of tech aimed at brick-and-mortar innovation. So, what’s the takeaway? Everything old is new again, only more so enabled by emerging …

Stores Are Back. Now What?Read More

We skimp a little on ourselves when times get tougher. Maybe fewer meals out, shorter vacations, and postponed purchases of big-ticket items. We’ll cut some corners too when it comes to spending on our kids. Fewer toys and video games, Disneyland next year rather than now. But our dogs and cats? No friggin’ way are we going to deprive our little furbabies of anything. The best food, more toys, winter sweaters and even if we skip a visit for a checkup with the doctor for ourselves, our pets are going to the vet right on …

It’s a Pet’s WorldRead More

Before the mid-1700s, new clothing wasn’t easy to come by. Garments were worn for years, enduring the repair process on more than a few occasions and, in most cases, outliving the original owners. Fashion wasn’t a powerful influencer because in those times longevity was key due to the long production process and costs required to create just one piece. One style tended to stick around for decades, rather than a season, and the fate of each piece ended with purpose. Repurpose. Dresses became quilts. Jackets became coverlets. Blouses became …

The Zero Waste RevolutionRead More

During the pandemic, the home retail category had a field day. It was a heady time during a maddening and confusing time in most people’s lives. So, opportunity knocks even under the worst of circumstances and business suddenly looks better than ever. CEO Ted Decker explains, “I’m incredibly impressed and thankful for the way our associates rose to the challenge posed by the Covid environment. Not only did they effectively support our customers and communities during the height of the pandemic, but they rallied during the ensuing growth we …

Home Depot Redefines a Retail RadicalRead More

The dollar store has always played a fascinating role in the American retailing business. Often the only place to shop for many items in large parts of still-rural America, stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General are increasingly migrating into more suburban and even urban neighborhoods. Offering an ever-changing mix of durables and consumables, they have provided economically-pressed, credit challenged consumers a convenient place to shop in cash when mainstream discount stores like Walmart and Target are often out of their price …

Dollar…and ChangeRead More