One national restaurant chain realizes that overburdening its employees hurts sales, as well as the company brand. Will more businesses follow its lead?
Retail
Social Media Manipulation? When “Indie” Bloggers and Businesses Get Cozy
Brands have sought to partner with influential bloggers for nearly as long as there have been blogs, with ads, sponsored posts, and more. Lately, however, a new relationship between brands and popular social media practioners is …
Does Kmart’s Hilarious New Ad Acknowledge That Kmart Stores Are Hopeless?
In just over a week, Kmart’s 30-second “Ship My Pants” spot — go ahead, say it quickly — has received close to 13 million views online. The viral hit should give the struggling retailer some much-needed buzz. It might also call …
2013 Boston Marathon Paraphernalia Already Up for Sale on eBay
You just knew this would happen. In the days after Monday’s tragedy at the Boston Marathon, all sorts of marathon-related gear has shown up on eBay.
Tale of Two Supermarkets: Why Fresh & Easy Flopped and Fairway Flies High
This week, the death of one high-profile grocery chain, and the ascendancy of another, tells us a lot about what Americans want in a supermarket—and what we’re just not buying.
Attention JC Penney Shoppers, Look Out for the Return of ‘Sales Galore’
After months of abysmal sales tallies, the Ron Johnson era is over at JC Penney. Now that Johnson’s “fair and square” no-coupons pricing policies have proved to be a failure, the department store will have to try something else …
Is Retail Therapy for Real? 5 Ways Shopping Is Actually Good for You
You know the phrase, “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping”? There just may be some wisdom in that.
How Walmart Plans to Bring Back ‘Made in America’
Walmart doesn’t make anything. But the giant retailer could play a part in the manufacturing rebound that is taking place in the U.S. with its promise to buy $50 billion more U.S. made goods over the next decade for its Walmart …
The Real Significance of the Bitcoin Boom (and Bust)
Online currencies like the Bitcoin are one day likely to alter government policy, just as the bond market did in the 1990s
The 5 Big Mistakes That Led to Ron Johnson’s Ouster at JC Penney
In the fall of 2011, Ron Johnson was appointed not just as CEO of JC Penney, but as the savior responsible for breathing new life into one of the dowdiest dinosaurs in American retail. Seventeen months—and many, many mistakes—later, he’s out of a job. What happened?
The Trouble Lurking on Walmart’s Empty Shelves
And according to recent reports, Walmart has cut employee hours so deeply that it doesn’t have enough associates on hand to get stuff from back-of-the-store staging areas to the shelves.
Can the Boutique ‘Store-Within-a-Store’ Concept Save Big Box Retailers from Extinction?
When successful, a store within the store will improve the appeal of both brands involved. That’s especially important for a retailer presumed to be on its deathbed.
