A SAMPLING of my recent commentary on RetailWire:
What happens now that Nike has called off its deal with Amazon?
Nike is making a strategic move by backing away from the Amazon.com platform. It may have enough clout on its own to make it work, but its departure may also leave a power void on Amazon that others will rush in to fill. That could include Amazon PL products, as well as rival sporting goods brand...
Gap Inc.’s CEO steps down. What comes next?
"Operational excellence is not a strategy." - Michael Porter It is a necessity, however. All retailers need to stand for something in the hearts and minds of shoppers. Gap and its brands appear to have slid into the mediocre middle while the plumbing was being repaired. I'm wi...
Ralph Lauren offers consumers a DIY counterfeit-checking tool
I like this idea a lot, but I do worry that a cottage industry may soon arise to produce counterfeit tags for counterfeit products. Some further thoughts: QR codes require active engagement from the shopper in the store using an app. They are an after-the-fact check for any product purchased onli...
Will free deliveries for Prime members make Amazon the driving force in online grocery?
I don't view free Prime grocery delivery as a preemptive act by Amazon at all. Walmart set the bar last month when it announced Delivery Unlimited. Amazon was forced to respond. This is highly significant because it exposes an area of vulnerability for Amazon in the grocery sector. At this ti...
Will six fewer holiday shopping days matter to retail performance?
Digital commerce provides shoppers with a convenient mechanism to "virtually" expand the shopping season, even in a year where Thanksgiving comes late. I see holiday merchandise displays already in place at some retailers -- alongside Halloween decorations and candy. Those merchants hav...
What makes voice assistants creepy?
Ken is right that transparency about how voice devices work may alleviate some of the creep factor. But it may add other discomfort. The makers probably reason that they don't want to emphasize the extent to which their sensors are listening and gathering user info by being too forthcoming. Un...
What will drive food trends for 2020?
It may be at the top of this list, but I wouldn't pick "regenerative" agriculture as the top opportunity for food production. Vertical agriculture -- both macro and micro scale -- is the real future. The key is to localize production close to where the population lives and consumes....