Carol Spieckerman

Facebook has arguably already delivered by creating the platform and attracting mega data miners like Walmart. How will they make use of Facebook? By getting better and better at mining all of that juicy friends and friends-of-friends data. Bottom-up and peer-to-peer is one thing, marketing to interests and affinities...

About three years ago, we predicted that Amazon would open stores or form an alliance with a large-scale retailer. Who would have thought they would take on both in a relatively short period of time (owned stores and Amazon's 7-Eleven site-to-store beta)?

Both make perfect sense as site-to-store scale-builders...

Verizon knows that content, especially entertainment, is what makes mobile devices desirable, and on-demand content makes them downright sexy. Verizon's partnership with Redbox isn't limited to mobile entertainment delivery (phone or tablet) -- harnessing the integration of mobile devices into the overall home or personal entertainment environment will be...

Ralph Lauren is the quintessential lifestyle brand(s) and the company has enjoyed an enviable run of success through retail's roughest waters. The company has done a fantastic job of mixing tradition with modernity (although I still see Burberry as setting the standard in that regard), and its carefully-curated brand...

The operative word is "shopping" (not to be confused with purchasing). To me, shopping includes navigating the store environment, accessing ratings, reviews, product specs, and coupons, checking online or in-store availability, etc. Mobile would seem to play a growing role in the shopping realm across multiple categories. Mobile transactions...

I give Tesco props for pulling the program rather than forcing it through, particularly as its share of the UK grocery market hits a seven-year low. Remember when Walmart announced that carbon footprint labeling of some kind would be the culmination of its phased sustainability initiative? Ms. Fleming would...

Although diminutive formats are getting a lot of attention these days, I've written and spoken quite a bit lately about the new reasons why bulkier boxes are enjoying a selective resurgence. Some of them, like Walgreens' Manhattan mega-store are what we call "proto-ships," a cross between a flagship and...

The downsizing of big boxes and the slow-but-steady expiration of long-term mall leases presents a big opportunity for malls to reinvent space. When it was announced that Bloomingdale's was departing the Mall of America, I posited that sub-dividing the space would make sense (especially since the list of potential...

Interesting timing as just yesterday, I checked out a Amazon reviews for a new book written by a to-remain-nameless failed executive touting business advice. Review upon review gave the book five stars -- each one following a similar effusive pattern and each prominently mentioning the author's name -- a...

Brand shops? Thumbs up. Finally, a move to differentiate the brandapalooza that is Penney's. I still think a bit of pruning is in order.

Cleaning up promotions? Thumbs up. Speaking of brand, when Penney's upscale brand launches such as American Living hit the floor at 25% off, the message...