The Amazon-Walmart Delivery Wars Continue with Lockers, Pickup Towers and In-Home Delivery

Amazon and Walmart continue to one-up each other in delivery and collection, offering new and innovative ways for customers to receive their orders. Amazon customers can retrieve orders from lockers or choose one- or two-hour delivery in many markets. Amazon… Continue Reading

Brick-and-Mortar Looks Set to Lead the Battle for Millennial, Multichannel Grocery Shoppers

The battle for online grocery shoppers is intensifying. Last week, Jet.com appointed Simon Belsham, a veteran of the UK online grocery industry, as President, signaling a further commitment to grocery by Jet and, in turn, a heightening of competition in… Continue Reading

Lidl Pulls Back on US Openings, Opts for Different Store Formats

Seven months after launching in the US, Lidl is slowing its store-opening program dramatically. This year, it will open just 20 US new stores, according to a January 18 report by German trade publication Manager Magazin. Klaus Gehrig, the CEO… Continue Reading

New Year Preview: 2018 Is Likely to Look a Lot Like 2017

Here we are again, at the outset of a brand new year that’s full of promise. Many of us have made New Year’s resolutions to exercise more, save money or make improvements in other areas of our lives and, whether… Continue Reading

Reviewing Retail in 2017, Part 2: Collaborations

As retail’s foundations shifted in 2017, legacy retailers sought out collaborations designed to drive shopper traffic, build their appeal to demographics such as millennials and maximize the value of their real estate holdings. This trend was particularly apparent in the… Continue Reading

Reviewing Retail in 2017, Part 1: Mergers, Acquisitions and Investments

2017 was a more eventful year in retail than many probably expected. This week and next, we will review the year, and consider what its developments tell us about the state of the sector and the strategies retailers are adopting… Continue Reading

Channel Swaps: Walmart Online vs. Amazon Offline

Walmart versus Amazon is perhaps the biggest retail battle of our times—and Amazon’s encroachment into brick-and-mortar grocery retailing with its Whole Foods Market acquisition has only heightened the competition. Coincidentally, both of these retail giants have recently made the unusual… Continue Reading

Amazon Shopping List: Books, DVDs, Clothing, Groceries…and Prescription Medications?

Amazon, since its founding, has steadily expanded its product portfolio from just books initially to a massive assortment of goods. In the last couple of years, the company has experimented with offering clothing and food. In terms of clothing, Amazon… Continue Reading

Amazon Takes a Bite Out of the Grocery Market

Source: istockphoto.com

Amazon Takes a Bite Out of the Grocery Market Amazon’s planned purchase of Whole Foods Market is one of the most startling retail news stories of this decade, for several reasons: It is Amazon’s largest acquisition by far. The company… Continue Reading