Grocery self-checkout has long had its detractors, and the technology could soon face legal hurdles that may affect how stores use it.  What do you think of the proposed limit on self-checkout registers and discounts for customers who use self-checkout being considered in Rhode Island?

California recently passed a law requiring employers with at least 15 workers to include pay ranges in job postings following calls for increased visibility to reduce gender and racial wage gaps. Will greater pay transparency force retailers to make major adjustments in how they manage their workforces?

While promising to help marketers tap first- and second-party data amid new privacy restrictions, data clean rooms remain sparsely used, according to a new study. What do you think of the potential as well as the challenges of using data clean rooms to help marketers transition from third-party cookies for targeting?

A university study concludes businesses, including many retailers, are increasingly giving workers promotions with “fabricated” managerial titles but no wage upgrade to avoid paying them overtime wages. Is there some truth that businesses, including retailers, fabricate manager titles to avoid overtime pay?

In the biggest update since organic standards were first established in 1990, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new guidelines designed to close loopholes and increase confidence in the often pricier product bearing the agency’s organic seal. Will stricter certification guidelines significantly improve the price integrity around organic products?

CVS and Walgreens have both begun the certification process to sell abortion pills under a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation that will allow the medication to be offered by retail pharmacies for the first time. Not unsurprisingly, the backlash has begun. Are CVS and Walgreens making the right business decision to pursue certification to sell abortion pills?

Hudson’s Bay Company has bid for a gaming license to install a high-end casino on the top three floors of the famed Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan. What do you think of the prospects for adding a casino atop Saks Fifth Avenue’s Manhattan flagship?

Meta was dealt a significant blow last week when being found guilty by European Union regulators of effectively forcing users to accept personalized ads. Required changes for the parent of Facebook and Instagram may significantly limit access to data to sell such ads in the region. Will calls for opt-in only requirements for online ad tracking get louder in the years ahead?

Tempe Marketplace and Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix on Jan. 12 will become the first outdoor shopping centers in Arizona to allow shoppers to drink alcohol as they shop. Do you see more pros than cons for retailers in expanding open-container drinking at outdoor shopping centers and downtown districts?

A newly recognized practice, “green hushing,” finds brands deliberately downplaying, underreporting or keeping silent about their emissions and carbon-offsetting targets. Do you see more benefits than drawbacks in companies toning down or not openly discussing their green targets?

After a successful three-store pilot program, Walmart drone delivery has launched in a handful of markets, with plans to expand soon to six states. How confident are you that drone delivery will be sustainable and soon scale nationwide?

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?

TikTok is facing restrictions in some U.S. states, with some government figures pushing for more comprehensive, and even federal, bans, with big implications for brands and retailers promoting content on the single most popular app in the world. Should retailers keep the potential state or federal banning of TikTok in mind when building out marketing strategies?

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon yesterday told CNBC that his company has a growing theft problem. Mr. McMillon said that theft has reached levels that are “higher than what’s historically been” the case for the retailer. “If that’s not corrected over time, prices will be higher, and/or stores will close,” he said. Do you see Walmart raising prices or closing stores in some areas in response to increasing theft?

Public interests groups are taking aim at digital couponing, saying that the practice is discriminatory insofar as the less tech-savvy consequently pay more. Do you think it is accurate to say that digital coupons discriminate against some demographics?

Walgreens is eliminating task-based metrics for pharmacy staff as part of performance reviews in order to place an “even greater focus on patient care and outcomes.” Do you think task-based metrics do more to incentivize or stress out retail workers?

With inflation driving grocery prices sky-high over the last year, the Canadian government is stepping in to determine whether or not grocers have been gouging. Do you think U.S. grocers will come under pressure similar to what is taking place in Canada should food inflation continue to rise?

Adults in Toronto can now buy cannabis online and have it delivered to their homes by Uber Eats. It marks the first time that a major third-party delivery provider has been engaged in making marijuana home deliveries. Do you anticipate a large demand for home delivery in the marijuana retail market?

CVS is slashing prices on its menstrual products and working to eliminate sales tax on such items across states as part of a broader push against the “pink tax,” a term referring to the premium women tend to pay versus men for personal health goods. What do you think of CVS’s moves to reduce prices on menstrual and other personal products?

Kroger and Albertsons have agreed on a deal that will combine the first and second largest supermarket operators in the U.S. The deal valued at $24.6 billion will see Kroger pay $34.10 a share for Albertsons’ stock, which closed at $28.63, CNBC reports. How will the Kroger/Albertsons merger affect the competitiveness of the two companies?

Amazon finds itself coming off as a corporate bully when its private label teams find small and growing brand products and then produce knockoff versions that it sells at a considerable discount. Does Amazon’s approach to developing private label products differ from most other retailers?

A new best-selling book from journalists at The New York Times, “McKinsey Comes To Town,” documents decades of scandalous behavior by the consultancy, raising questions to some about the legitimacy of the consulting industry and whether regulation is required. Have the scandals at McKinsey and other larger consulting firms in any way impacted the retail consulting world?

Major retail pharmacies are facing legal battles over placing homeopathic remedies in the medicine aisle with the rest of the pills. What should a retailer’s responsibility be when it comes to informing customers of the effectiveness or lack thereof of the products it sells?

Deliveroo Hop, which relies on “dark store” mini warehouses to fulfill orders, has launched a new concept in Central London where non-app users can enter the location, order from a digital kiosk in a reception area and pay via card. Do you consider the Deliveroo Hop concept to be an improvement on the dark store model?

No matter which Wegmans a customer is shopping at in the U.S., they will not find single-use plastic bags available at checkout. Does Wegmans’ chainwide ban on single-use plastic bags make business sense for the grocer?

Sephora ran afoul of California’s new data privacy laws, and the beauty retailer is paying the price for it — a settlement of $1.2 million to the state. What impact do you see the Sephora settlement having on how retailers use and sell data, both in California and throughout the U.S.?

Kroger, Giant Eagle and Acme Fresh Market have applied for licenses to install sports gaming kiosks at Ohio locations as the state gets set to legalize sports betting at the start of 2023. Do you see adding sports gaming kiosks as an acceptable extension of lottery sales and a promising foot traffic driver for stores?

In a tweet Tuesday, Gail Vaz-Oxlade, a Canadian celebrity money expert, called for a boycott of Loblaws, encouraging followers to “join in sending a message to the Loblaws group that you do NOT appreciate their profiting and calling it ‘inflation.’” How would you define profiteering in the current inflationary climate and are certain grocers and food manufacturers guilty?

An uproar ensued last week after fans of Bruce Springsteen found some tickets to his first tour in six years fetching prices in the range of $4,000 to $5,000 due to Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” model. What lessons does the fuss over Bruce Springsteen’s ticket pricing offer retailers and brands around the use of dynamic pricing?

Retail trade organizations have come out strongly in support of new legislation that would enable retailers and other merchants a choice of which companies process credit card transactions. Will the “Credit Card Competition Act of 2022” result in lower swipe fees for retailers?

“Buy Now, Pay Later” services saw explosive adoption as e-commerce upshifted into a higher gear during the pandemic, but are now facing questions over their sustainability. Are rising interest rates, inflation and regulatory pressures short-term hurdles for BNPL loan providers or a threat to their survival?

These days, products on the grocery shelves and items on menus in fast food and fast casual restaurants usually have some sort of health label. However, a new study finds that most customers do not pay much attention to them. Is there a better, more effective way for food health labeling to be done?

Amazon.com yesterday filed lawsuits against the administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook groups that it says recruited people to post fake reviews on its site in exchange for money or free products. Is the public’s perception of the validity of reviews on Amazon’s site affected by legal action it takes to find fraudsters?

President Joseph Biden last Friday stepped in with an executive order designed to keep freight rail workers from striking over the next 60 days. What would be the consequences of a rail strike on the retail industry heading into the Christmas season?

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?

Walgreens associates have made the news in recent weeks for refusing to sell over-the-counter and prescription contraceptives to customers based on their religious objections. Should Walgreens and other retailers screen applicants to see if their personal views may interfere with their ability to do their jobs?

Retailers in Miami, San Diego and Cambridge, MA, have joined those in other cities in recent years complaining about the addition of protected bike lanes, although studies show they eventually drive shopper traffic. How confident are you that bike lanes elevate retail traffic for local communities even when they replace parking spots?

Amazon.com’s size and huge rate of employee turnover appear to be setting up the retail juggernaut for a strange hiring problem — it is on the way to running out of people who are willing to work at its warehouses.  Do you see Amazon averting this looming labor crisis, and how?

Starbucks may end its open bathroom policy as the challenges its stores face dealing with the mental health crisis now outweigh the risks of racial bias. Should Starbucks shift from an open-access bathroom policy to one limiting or prohibiting access for non-customers?

Congress approved legislation that retailers believe will help reign in ocean carriers who have used the coronavirus pandemic as a rationale to jack up rates to transport goods to the U.S.  What do you see as the greatest challenges for U.S. retailers when it comes to efficiently moving goods through the supply chain and keeping costs down?

Retailers are trying to negotiate terms like rent abatement or rent deferral in case of a new forced closure, according to a new report. How important is it that retailers negotiate clauses pertaining to potential future government shutdowns into their leases?

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?

Apple said last week that it will increase starting wages for its U.S. retail to $22 per hour, up from $20 and representing a 45 percent hike from 2018 levels. Is Apple’s move to raise retail starting pay likely more about the hot job market or fighting unionization?

A leaked initial draft of an opinion by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito that indicates the court will overturn Roe versus Wade has become a business issue overnight.  How should retailer and consumer brand businesses best navigate the controversy surrounding the possible overturning of Roe V. Wade?

With no sign of inflation abating, manufacturers have started to shrink package sizes while keeping prices the same — and customers are starting to notice. Is it a good move for CPGs to reduce the amount of product in packages rather than raising prices at this point in time?

The Arkansas Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Family Dollar Stores that alleges the chain and its parent company, Dollar Tree, knew for years that it had a rodent infestation problem. How does a situation like the one at Family Dollar’s West Memphis distribution center continue for so long?

It was not so long ago that package delivery drones, specifically ones from Amazon.com, seemed poised to take flight as soon as the right regulatory bodies signed off. At present, however, the concept of package drop-off via drone is looking like it could be a dud.  Do you see Amazon overcoming its obstacles with flying drone package delivery?

Amazon in mid-March canceled plans to open a four-story warehouse in Churchill, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh, after local residents complained about the potential for excessive pollution and traffic. Will local opposition be a minor or major hurdle towards building the warehousing and infrastructure necessary to support e-commerce’s growth?

A new survey finds 59 percent of U.S. consumers believe disposal instructions on items are hard to find, and 63 percent would be more likely to purchase products with well-marked recycling directions. Would more detailed instructions on packaging help improve recycling rates in the U.S.?

The Merchants Payments Coalition earlier this week sent a letter to the House Financial Services Committee calling on it and Congress to investigate what the trade association calls Visa and Mastercard’s anti-competitive dominance over the U.S. credit and debit card markets. Is the current system for setting interchange fees anti-competitive?