Target and Walmart are among the major brick-and-mortar retailers actively battling back against “showrooming”—when a consumer inspects merchandise in a physical store and later purchases it online (usually at Amazon) for less …
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What’s in Store for Holiday Shopping 2012?
Where will you be shopping during the upcoming holidays? What, when, and how are you likely to check off the items on your shopping list? The predictions of retail analysts are in.
Could ‘Showrooming’ Actually Be Good for Brick-and-Mortar Retailers?
Stores hate it when shoppers scope out merchandise in person, only to whip out a smartphone, shop around, and ultimately make the purchase elsewhere. Yet could this practice, known as “showrooming,” wind up helping retailers, …
No Sale? Retailers Try to Avoid Deep Discounting Without Losing Shoppers
At some point in recent years, 50% off became the new normal, with shoppers growing increasingly accustomed to dramatic markdowns—and correspondingly unimpressed with a measly 10% off. Stores jacked up list prices so that the …
Target Battles Walmart for Low-Price Supremacy
Target gets bragging rights in the most recent study comparing prices between the “Expect more. Pay less.” retailer and its “Save money. Live better.” competitor, Walmart. In the study, matching up costs of 150 similar items in …
PayPal-Discover Pact Boosts Mobile Payments Momentum
The mobile payments/digital wallet drama now unfolding is fascinating for three reasons: First, paying with your mobile phone is the most fundamental shift in retail commerce since the credit card was invented 60 years ago. …
Will Customers Love or Hate ‘Personalized’ Grocery Prices?
The concept of “personalized” grocery store deals strikes some consumers as inherently unfair. How would you feel, after all, if you were charged more than the person in front of you at checkout for the same exact item? Few …
Walmart, Target Challenge Google, Square as Mobile Payments Heat Up
Retail titans like Walmart, Target and Best Buy are challenging tech upstarts like Google, Paypal and Square for advantage as the mobile payments space heats up.
Online Vs. Brick-and-Mortar: Which Is Better for Back to School Shopping?
When it comes to electronics and big-ticket items, it’s assumed that while consumers may want to inspect merchandise in person before purchasing, they’ll ultimately find the best prices online. That’s what “showrooming” is all …
From Chick-fil-A to Amazon, Why Companies Take a Stand on Social Issues
Last week, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie pledged $2.5 million to help pass a referendum on same-sex marriage in Washington State. With the donation, the Bezoses became the largest public financial …
Big-Box Shrinkage: Retailers Embrace Sales on a Smaller Scale
While the big-box retail model is far from dead, stores such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Cabela’s are realizing that the enormous, one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for all shoppers—nor all locations. To grow, many …
A Store Without a Checkout Counter? JCPenney Presses on with Retail Revolution
JCPenney’s dramatic makeover has led to customer confusion and subpar sales, but the company is sticking with its plan to revolutionize its brand.
