Burberry is set to trim its workforce as part of a turnaround effort.

Some analysts believe that Burberry should abandon its push to move upmarket to join Gucci, Dior, Prada, and other pure luxury brands and instead settle into the aspirational tier of the pricing pyramid. Would it be better off?

At today’s market opening, Burberry’s shares tumbled 16% due to a poor first-quarter performance. This downturn prompted the luxury fashion brand to change its CEO and eliminate dividend payouts to shareholders.

With the rise of online luxury resellers such as Vestiaire Collective and TheRealReal, an opportunity has opened up for consumers to cash in on goods they no longer want.

Burberry, 1-800-Flowers.com and ASOS recently became the latest retailers to infuse augmented reality (AR) into their apps to help online customers make more informed purchase decisions. How confident are you that AR combined with smartphone camera technology will help bring the in-store, try-on experience to online shopping?

Burberry has partnered with Apple to roll out a new chat service, which will allow its high-value and mobile-first customers to text directly with store associates. In what ways is text messaging emerging as a shopping tool?

Visually oriented platforms, led for now by Instagram, are helping retailers generate traffic, brand awareness and more sales on social channels. Are Instagram and similar visual platforms the future of social commerce?

Bowing to environmental groups, Burberry committed last week to cease the practice of destroying unsold products. The move comes after the fashion house admitted in its annual report in July that it burned $37 million worth of inventory it deemed unsellable last year. Is it acceptable for luxury brands to destroy unsold stock to maintain product scarcity?

Burberry last week shocked the fashion world by announcing that, beginning in September, its runway shows would feature “wear-now” items — product that can be bought by consumers immediately. Should retailers welcome a move to show more wear-now merchandise at runway shows?

There probably isn’t anything that luxury goods manufacturers hate more than counterfeiters. A not too distant second on the scorn list are sites that sell gray market goods. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Alibaba has been making good on a promise to rid its Tmall site of gray market goods if luxury brands open their own stores on the marketplace. Do you see gray market goods as a serious issue in the U.S.?

At least at luxury stores, the ruder the sales staff, the better for sales, according to new research from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. Do you think the approach and attitudes of associates at luxury stores should differ from those at mainstream stores? Do you see being snooty as beneficial when it comes to selling luxury?

Does every brand actually have a story? A recent discussion on Retail Paradox around brand storytelling led to a debate on whether retailer brands known only for low price or retailers that don’t focus on their own brand at all actually have a story. Do you think every retailer needs to tell a story?

As part of ongoing attempts to “humanize technology” through emotive digital experiences, Burberry has teamed with Google to create Burberry Kisses, allowing users to send virtual kisses to anyone in the world. Do you see emotional storytelling becoming more integral to digital advertising?

There’s a lot being said about the potential for retailers and brands to drive business through social networks. Now comes news that Google’s social media answer to Facebook, Google+, is open for retailers and brands to launch pages. How do you view Google+ as a means to build brands and banners?

At the recent Customer Relationship Management Conference, Shaun Smith, author and partner, Smith & Co., spent an energizing morning talking about what defines a bold organization and how that manifests itself in relating to customers, prospects and employees. What defines a ‘bold’ organization?

High tickets apparently indicate high fashion, at least where bags are concerned among the mega-rich on both sides of the Atlantic. Whether or not the fad has reached its peak, this season’s must-haves include a couple of bags that are ordered at select parties attended only by invitation. What do you think is driving the trend toward ultra-expensive handbags? Do aspirational purchases represent a bigger opportunity for retailers today than the past?

It didn’t take but a single trip through one of her company stores to cause Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts to question why the retailer carried so much merchandise. According to The Wall Street Journal, Ms. Ahrendts then asked for a report so she could get a handle on the contribution all those items were making…. What she discovered was that 20 percent of the items in stores generated 80 percent of its sales. Do you see any danger that Angela Ahrendts’ focus on improved efficiency will endanger the perception the retailer has developed in recent years as a fashion leader?