Walmart is known for its everyday low prices on products across the store, but a recent offer of a carton of 18 eggs for $2 at a store in Kentucky raises questions about how this particular location was able to offer a price so low. How much are Walmart and other large retailers able to influence pricing on commodities such as eggs?

At a virtual meeting in December, Whole Foods implored suppliers to lower costs on packaged groceries as inflation moderates. Do grocers have the leverage it takes to strong-arm their suppliers into reducing prices?

Some of the world’s biggest footwear brands have been backing away from wholesalers’ shelves in favor of DTC channels, but new developments in shoe retailing are signaling that wholesale might prove to be a better fit. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Nike and other footwear brands that have focused much of their resources on direct-to-consumer channels?

Gap has formed a partnership with Ware2Go, a UPS-owned digital platform that matches merchants with on-demand available warehouse space and fulfillment services. Do you see more benefits than risks for smaller brands and retailers in outsourcing logistics and fulfillment to Gap and other retailers?

Consumer brands often feel as if they have little choice when it comes to purchasing ads from retail media networks, according to a new survey of its members by the Association of National Advertisers. How does consumer brand spending on retail media networks compare to other types of trading partner spending?

David’s Bridal has introduced a wedding planning platform and vendor marketplace as it looks to leverage its position as the largest seller of wedding dresses in the U.S. What do you think of David’s Bridal’s opportunity in the wedding planning and marketplace space?

Consumers are fed up with escalating inflation, prompting some companies to restrain their price hikes to offset cost pressures. Will consumer resistance to higher prices likely be the primary factor driving down inflation?

In a keynote presentation at the 2023 NRF Big Show, Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Neiman Marcus Group’s CEO, was asked about the benefits and risks of the retailer’s high concentration levels. Is the concentration of its customer base and vendor base a concern for Neiman’s?

At the NRF Big Show, Jeff Gennette, Macy’s CEO, discussed how process changes and improved data science helped the retailer overhaul inventory disciplines over the pandemic. Are more retailers using data science to tailor markdowns by “door and channel” as Macy’s is doing?

Rent the Runway reached an agreement to sell its “Pre-Loved” luxury merchandise on Amazon.com, marking another major partnership for Rent the Runway and a big step into the resale market for Amazon. Does Rent The Runway or Amazon score a bigger win with their resale collaboration?

Lowe’s is bringing all of its One Roof Media Network ad sales and operations in-house. The home improvement retailer said the move will allow it to control all elements of its relationship with advertisers and partner with them in ways to achieve more meaningful interactions with shoppers. Will advertisers benefit from Lowe’s decision to bring its retail media operations under one roof?

Amazon.com is looking for growth beyond its own platform. The company yesterday said it was making its “Buy with Prime” program, which offers the same easy checkout, free shipping and returns on its platform, available to third-party sellers for use on their own sites. What impact do you expect Buy with Prime to have in the U.S?

Designer Brands Inc., the parent of DSW, recently set a goal to double sales of its owned brands in response to direct-to-consumer efforts by national brands. Its acquisition earlier this week of the Topo athletic brand furthers that effort. Do you see more benefits than drawbacks to DSW’s move to increase emphasis on in-house brands?

Amazon has made several commitments related to business practices in Europe as part of settlement over alleged unfair treatment of third-party sellers. Do Amazon’s concessions under the European Union settlement appear fair to Amazon and third-party sellers?

Inflation has become enough of an issue to rattle Walmart’s everyday low price positioning and the chain is considering taking a drastic move that may keep its customers happy, but likely have the opposite effect on some of its suppliers. How effective will Walmart’s threat of delisting products be in getting center store grocery suppliers to moderate prices?

Macy’s has been pursuing opportunities to grow its business through store-within-a-store partnerships, and in its latest alliance is teaming up with Claire’s to open shops inside 21 Macy’s stores, including eight flagship locations. Are Claire’s and Macy’s a good match?

With inventories elevated in many categories and the economy slowing amid inflationary pressures, larger retailers are using reclaimed leverage to cancel orders, fight price increases and seek out concessions from suppliers. Do you see indications that retailers regained leverage against their supplier base amid excess inventories and inflationary pressures?

Gap is for sale on Amazon.com. Gap made “thousands” of its items available last week at Amazon.com/Gap with the promise of “fast, free Prime delivery.” Does the Gap or Amazon gain more from their new selling partnership?

Joining a number of other retailers with in-house investment vehicles, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced the launch of DSG Ventures, a $50 million fund that will initially focus on companies that directly serve athletes and their communities, or that help Dick’s better serve its customers. What should Dick’s Sporting Goods hope to gain from its launch of DSG Ventures?

Target is expanding its partnership with Apple so that more people looking for Apple products at the general merchandise retailer can have an experience closer to what they would get at the Apple store. Do you see the Apple at Target concept going chainwide at some point?

McDonald’s is beginning a small test of the sale for a limited time of select Krispy Kreme doughnuts at nine restaurants in Louisville and the surrounding area. Does the collaboration between Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s make sense for both companies?

Walmart has been public about supporting American manufacturing wherever it makes business sense and that commitment was reinforced last week at a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new factory in Santa Ana, CA, that will cut and sew apparel exclusively for the retailer. Does “made in the USA” messaging hold more sway with American consumers today than it did 10 years ago?

At its first Investor Day in its 84-year history, Columbia Sportswear announced plans to ”double down” on wholesale growth even as numerous other active lifestyle brands emphasize direct-to-consumer initiatives. Does Columbia Sportswear’s focus on wholesale brick and mortar relationships vs. owned brick and mortar make sense?

At Ralph Lauren Corporation’s Investor Day, CEO Patrice Louvet claimed that a four-year transformation has elevated the brand’s status, product and go-to-market strategy to serve as a foundation for accelerated growth.  What’s been the key to Ralph Lauren’s turnaround and how should it be looking to further capitalize on the progress?

Walmart, Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s are among retailers that have recently said they are canceling some orders to better balance inventory levels, a replay of a strategy used at the start of the pandemic. Should order cancellations be a rare, last-resort option or regularly used as a tool for rebalancing inventories?

Target is hoping for big things from its newly announced multiyear agreement with FAO Schwarz that will give the chain exclusive rights to sell the toy brand’s products within dedicated areas in its stores and on its website.  Do you expect FAO Schwarz’s toys to be a big contributor to Target’s holiday season performance?

Gap and American Eagle Outfitters have joined Amazon, Walmart and Target in peddling logistics services to third-party retailers. But there are concerns over their ability to recruit prospective customers due to data privacy qualms and competitive reasons. What do you think of the opportunities for Gap and American Eagle Outfitters as 3PL providers?

A recent Morning Consult survey concludes that only 25 percent of U.S. adults have failed to notice “shrinkflation” in any grocery categories, and many that have are seeking alternatives. How open should retailers be to accepting shrinkflation moves from vendors?

Peloton, which seemingly overnight went from boom to bust, last week reached a deal to sell through Amazon.com’s U.S. website, marking its first wholesale selling relationship. Do you see more of an upside or downside to Peloton’s deal to sell on Amazon and possibly with other retailers?

The Sephora at Kohl’s store-within-a-store concept is working really well for both retailers one year after its debut. So, why hasn’t all the good news surrounding this partnership done more for Kohl’s results — or is that simply too much to ask? Is Kohl’s betting too heavily on its relationship with Sephora to lift results?

Saks Off 5th has partnered with Rent The Runway to sell previously-worn and rented fashions via its website, becoming the first off-pricer to enter the resale marketplace. Does resale make sense for off-price retailers?

Glossier, the disruptive beauty upstart, has reached a deal for Sephora stores and Sephora.com to start selling its products in North America in early 2023, marking its first wholesale partnership. Do you see more upside than downside to Glossier’s plans to open up distribution to Sephora?

Amazon.com has considered exiting its private label business altogether in order to alleviate regulatory pressures, according to multiple reports. Is Amazon’s use of national brand data to inform its private label decisions different from the way other retailers handle that information?

YZYSPLY, the sneaker and apparel company of sometimes-controversial rapper, producer and fashion entrepreneur Kanye West, has filed a trademark hinting that a physical storefront for the brand could be on the way.  How would a Kanye West entrance into physical retail affect the sneaker and apparel markets?

Shekar Natarajan, chief supply chain officer at American Eagle Outfitters, thinks it’s in his company’s best interest to work with competitors to deliver online orders to consumers across the U.S. How likely are retailers in large numbers to buy into a delivery aggregation system?

Walmart is looking to bring goods from U.K. exporters to consumers in the U.S. The retailer has begun what it calls “a major push” to bring these sellers to its online marketplace. What is your take on Walmart’s recruitment of UK sellers and its onboarding process?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday reported that food-at-home prices rose 11.9 percent over the last 12 months, the largest increase since April 1979. What’s the obvious and less obvious fallout from ongoing food inflation on the grocery channel?

Allbirds, the environmentally-friendly footwear upstart, has opened third-party distribution for the first time. Do you see more benefits than risks in Allbirds’ move to open up wholesale distribution?

Amazon is slamming federal legislation that would bar the company from giving preference to its products over items sold by other sellers on its site. Does Amazon unfairly give preference to products it sells versus those sold by third parties on its marketplace?

Victoria’s Secret has launched a curated digital platform dedicated to third-party brands with a focus on women-led up-and-comers. Does selling third-party brands risk confusing consumers and diluting the appeal of Victoria’s Secret’s core brands?

Foot Locker is counting on Adidas, the second largest athletic footwear vendor, to help compensate for the loss of business as Nike, the largest, Nike, pulls back some of its business. Do you see Adidas as the lynchpin to resetting Foot Locker’s merchandise mix amid reduced allocations from Nike?

Amazon is testing a new program that leverages its Flex gig economy driver network to bring deliveries to consumers’ doorsteps from malls.  What do you think is behind Amazon’s test of same-day delivery from malls?

Ninety-one percent of small to mid-sized retailers believe larger companies have an advantage over them in the current supply chain crisis, according to a survey. Do SMB retailers have a significant disadvantage versus larger chains in managing supply chain disruption?

Thanks to record inflation, price sensitivity at the grocery channel is back. With a vengeance. And all indications suggest it’s only going to get worse. Grocers, however, have been reluctant to pass on recent manufacturer price increases. What suggestions do you have for managing prices at the grocery level in inflationary times?

Kroger is bringing back an accelerator program designed to help local fresh food suppliers from across the country gain access to the supermarket giant’s store shelves. Are accelerator programs such as Kroger’s a good way to onboard local and regional suppliers?

Victoria’s Secret has launched a “storefront” offering its beauty products on Amazon.com, marking the first time the brand has sold not only on Amazon but through any third-party retailer. Does selling through Amazon offer more opportunities than risks for Victoria’s Secret?

Amazon Prime members who have wished that their perks would extend to e-commerce experiences beyond Amazon’s website are now in luck. Amazon has announced the launch of its Buy With Prime functionality. Do you see Amazon’s new Buy With Prime service providing the right kind of benefits to merchants and holding strong appeal to consumers?

Amazon marketplace sellers who use the company’s fulfillment services will see a five percent temporary surcharge for shipments, starting April 28, attributed to rising fuel prices and inflation. Does the temporary fuel and inflation surcharge seem like a fair fee given escalating shipping costs?

Lands’ End is big on partnerships. The casual clothing retailer is going live on-air today with QVC in a promotion featuring its women’s swimwear in sizes two through 32 in petite, regular and tall cuts.  Is Land’s End on the right track in combining its direct sales efforts with those through third parties such as Amazon, Kohl’s and QVC?

A survey of major global retailers finds that less than 20 percent are on track to cut their Scope 3 emissions by enough to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement targets for limiting the rise in global temperatures. What advice would you have for retailers around reducing their Scope 3 or indirect greenhouse gas emissions?