Marge Laney

As already stated by my colleagues, ELDP is not new and is definitely not exciting. Neither is the report of thousands of layoffs that I just read about. I'm not sure what I expected from Ron Johnson, but this definitely wasn't it.

Hopefully, he's saving the best for the...

Online fitting room applications are cropping up all over the place and each new entrant is proclaiming that theirs is the best and provides the closest fit. There are several companies that do 3D body mapping and claim to be accurate within one inch of reality. One inch is...

This is startling news! Glen Senk has done a masterful job of growing the different Urban Outfitter brands and will be sorely missed. Great merchants are few and far between these days and those retailers fortunate to be headed by one should take care not to lose them.

Urban...

Bringing Apple products to markets that don't have access to the stores will definitely give them added exposure to potential customers. Sure, you can always buy online, but the Apple brand and price point is sold best with their brick and mortar experience.

And there's the rub. Without some...

I agree with Mr. Lahart that adding hours mostly adds to associate misery. However, on Christmas day the only store that was open near us was CVS, which was packed. Being open to take care of the "OMG, I forgot ****", proved to be very profitable I'm sure.

Unless you're Walmart et al, discounting is a dangerous game. The big discounters have the ability to move lots of product while making only a small percentage on each item. They usually are selling commodity merch and serve it up with no customer service.

The big non-discount retailers who...

Here in Texas we have several fast feeders who offer beer, wine, and margaritas with their fare. It's certainly a profitable add-on but also a bit risky on the liability end. As the article points out, there's a delicate balance that must be struck for it to be worth...

This is a heartwarming story not about the greatness of retail but about the kindness of regular people. To use it to generate publicity or to encourage others to do the same would be in bad taste to say the least.

I agree that there needs to be ground rules in a competitive situation, but I disagree with "Close 'em or lose 'em; no business cards given to customers to 'ask for me.'"

As a customer, I have been helped by knowledgeable and attentive associates and, through no fault of...

This is where the in-store customer experience comes into play. Associates should be trained (there's that pesky problem again) to be knowledgeable about the products they sell, and make sure that the customer is happy with their purchase before they leave the store.

Brick & mortar apparel retailers are...