“The biggest focus is getting store shoppers into our loyalty program,” said Ms. Raymond, “it’s a huge priority for store associates.”

Albertsons has introduced a digital health and wellness platform that enables customers to track their health and wellness goals and receive rewards, including grocery discounts, for surpassing them. How much consumer appeal do you see in Albertsons’ Sincerely Health platform linking loyalty rewards to fitness, nutrition and mental health goals?

Victoria’s Secret & Co. last week said it was launching “The VS & PINK Collective,” a pilot of its first loyalty program that gives Victoria’s Secret and Pink customers an opportunity to share rewards. Will the VS & Pink Collective rewards program be successful in driving incremental sales for the two Victoria’s Secret & Co. brands?

A new report says Amazon intends to become a significant force in same-day deliveries. How close it is to achieving that goal may surprise a few. Will same-day deliveries in major U.S. markets help Amazon recruit and retain Prime members?

Amazon Prime members who have gotten their groceries delivered for free with a minimum purchase of $35 will now have to spend at least $150 if they want to avoid paying a fee starting on February 28. How do you expect Prime members will react to Amazon’s new requirements for free grocery delivery?

Walmart last week unveiled a new program, Walmart Business, to serve the needs of small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) and nonprofit organizations. What is your assessment of the opportunities that Walmart faces with its B2B initiative?

Amazon.com today introduced RXPass, a new subscription plan that enables Prime members to buy prescription medicines for more than 80 common health conditions delivered to their homes for $5 a month in total. Will RxPass be an attractive perk for Amazon Prime members and those considering  subscription?

The good news if you are a My Best Buy rewards program member is that you will no longer be required to make a minimum purchase to receive free standard shipping on online orders. The bad news is that to get the perk, you’ll have to pay with the retailer’s high interest credit card. How do you expect Be​​st Buy customers to react to changes to its My Best Buy rewards program?

Stitch Fix CEO Elizabeth Spaulding’s exit last week and plans by the company to lay off 20 percent of its workforce mark another troubling sign for the subscription box category. Are Stitch Fix’s challenges mainly due to its own business model and the apparel space or more so a reflection of broader challenges facing subscription services?

A new study finds Millennials and Gen-Zers are the demographics that are purchasing digital fashion assets and fashion NFTs (non-fungible tokens) the most. Will interest by Gen-Zers and Millennials in fashion NFTs remain potent or will it fall off like other digital collectibles seem to have?

The new Toys “R” Us has been making more innovative, on-trend moves than it did before its most recent relaunch and that now extends to getting involved in Web 3.0. The toy retailer is launching a 10,000 item collection of non-fungible tokens. Is launching a line of NFTs a good idea for Toys “R” Us?

With its high-quality products, value proposition and knowledgeable and friendly staff, Trader Joe’s often finds itself at or near the top of various industry “best of” lists. However, the quirky chain may still face some challenges as it expands. What do you think Trader Joe’s needs to work on?

Grocers not known for rock-bottom prices can minimize the damage in competing against low-price leaders  — and potentially strengthen bonds with customers — by keeping price gaps tight while using best practices in executing mass promotions, communications, personalization and private branding. How can traditional grocers best compete in inflationary periods against low-priced leaders?

Amazon last week held its second Prime Day event of the year and, as it turned out, the sales promotion may not have been the kickoff to the holidays that the retail and technology giant was hoping for. Do you see the results of Amazon’s Prime Early Access event as a bellwether for the company’s 2022 holiday season performance or that of the larger retail industry?

P.F. Chang’s has launched a paid subscription program that offers its members special perks in exchange for a $6.99 monthly fee. Do you see more potential revenue drivers than margin eroders in P.F. Chang’s Platinum Rewards paid-subscription program?

Sephora has launched a subscription program that allows shoppers to get unlimited same-day delivery in as little as two hours for $49 a year. Do you see enough consumer appeal for Sephora’s Same-Day Unlimited offering?

Lululemon athletica on Wednesday unveiled an expansion of its Studio Mirror subscription plan that combines the company’s wall-mounted remote fitness technology with in-person experiences, early access to events and merchandise discounts. Will the lululemon Studio program become the go-to destination for a large percentage of the retailer’s customers?

Starbucks is revamping its loyalty program and working an NFT platform into the mix, although it is not using that acronym to describe its digital art offerings. Do you see Starbucks’ implementation of NFTs as being worth the company’s investment given the controversy surrounding the technology?

Another day, another retail loyalty program launch. Bath & Body Works earlier this week debuted its “new” rewards program, which was soft-launched in July after it began testing in March. Do you think recent retail rewards program updates focused on discounts are more effective, equally effective or less effective than the approach taken by Sephora?

Walmart, which recently added a Paramount+ Essential subscription at no extra cost to Walmart+, has introduced a new way for members to earn points towards future discounts with every purchase they make from the retailer. Will the perks that Walmart is adding to the Walmart+ program help build its subscriber base?

Tractor Supply is making changes to its Neighbor’s Club rewards program, putting greater emphasis on building closer relationships with the pet parents who shop in its stores. What do you think will be the result of Tractor Supply’s decision to clearly link its name and rewards with its Petsense business?

Kohl’s said its online sales in the second quarter benefited from higher conversion rates, driven largely by a move to lower its free shipping threshold on order size to $49 from $75. How should the order size threshold for free shipping be determined?

Many of the components needed to deliver location-based services have been around for years, but the complexity of implementing infrastructure and integrating systems has kept retailers from using this technology to optimize operations. Why have retailers been slow to implement location-based solutions?

With today’s shoppers interacting with retailers on their phones, through social media, websites and countless other modes, “unboxed retail” has created a dilemma for many retail formats anchored on street corners across America. What factors have become more important in guiding retail success amid increasingly “wherever, whenever, however” shopping behavior?

Subscription box service sales have soared since the start of the pandemic, driven by consumers’ desire for convenience, value and variety. What do you see as the keys to operating a successful subscription box service?

Walmart is looking to add video streaming as a perk for joining its Walmart+ subscription plan, according to numerous reports. Is a video streaming deal what Walmart+ needs to compete with Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime members in 10 cities can now buy merchandise from local retailers in their market and get their orders delivered the very same day. Will same-day delivery for well-known retailers entice other chains to sell on Amazon’s platform?

Amazon.com is officially calling this week’s Prime Day sales event a success. The retail and technology giant said that shoppers purchased more items in what it has labeled as the “biggest Prime Day event” in its history. Did anything around Amazon’s sales performance this week or that of its rivals surprise you in any way?

Walmart wants its Walmart+ customers to provide access to their refrigerators and is now offering a way for its members to combine their Walmart+ membership with the chain’s InHome Delivery Service without breaking the bank. Do you expect that large numbers of Walmart+ and InHome Delivery Service customers will combine their memberships?

Amazon.com’s Prime membership already comes with plenty of perks, and now the company is adding more. Will a free GrubHub+ membership, sneak peeks and other new perks be incentive enough to add big numbers to Prime’s membership ranks?

Bed Bath & Beyond continues to have a lot of doubters on Wall Street, even as the chain’s management continues to roll out new private lines and programs intended to drive sales and profits. What is your assessment of Bed Bath & Beyond at this point in time?

Target is bringing back Deal Days, its answer to Amazon.com’s Prime Day, with big discounts and gift card rewards on product categories across its stores and target.com. How do you expect Target’s Deal Days, Amazon Prime Day and other July sales events by large retailers to stack up against their 2021 results?

Amazon.com is holding its Prime Day event on July 12 and 13 with promises of offering its lowest prices ever on select products from its own lines and those of top brands. Do you think there is more pressure on Amazon to have a great Prime Day in 2022 than there has been in years past?

Instacart Express is out and Instacart+ is in. The retail delivery service has renamed its subscription plan and expanded its emphasis from a single person in a household to the entire family. Do you think Instacart+ will succeed in getting members of a household to add items to a family shopping cart before purchase?

Starbucks is looking to create a “digital third place” with the help of emerging Web 3 technologies that will support the sale of NFTs and drive loyalty. What do you think of Starbucks’ vision of extending the “third place” concept online through NFTs and metaverse content?

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?

At its Analyst Day earlier this week, Lululemon announced plans to launch a two-tiered membership program tied to its Mirror at-home fitness device. Does Lululemon’s two-tiered membership program make sense for the brand and its customer base?

For $10.99 a month, visitors to Panera can now get all the self-serve beverages they can drink. Will adding an all-you-can-drink element and “Charged Lemonades” increase the effectiveness of Panera’s subscription program, even at a higher price?

Aligned to the hike in fuel prices, Krispy Kreme is offering a dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts every Wednesday for a limited time for the price of a gallon of regular gas. Do you think fuel-based promotions today will be significantly more effective than if they were run at the same time last year?

A dominant 53 percent of teens identified Amazon.com as their favorite e-commerce site, according to Piper Sandler’s “Spring 2022 Taking Stock With Teens” survey. What’s driving the strong appeal of Amazon among younger consumers?

It’s common to see “Buy 10 sandwiches get one free” program. As part of its first loyalty program, The Fresh Market is introducing not one, but five purchase frequency programs. Will The Fresh Market’s rewards program tied to purchase frequency be more effective than points-for-all-purchases programs?

Walmart is looking to add 1.6 million new members to its Walmart+ subscription plan. What do you make of Walmart’s decision to offer free Walmart+ memberships to its store, distribution and fulfillment center employees?

For the first time in 84 years, REI has updated its lifetime membership program with five new benefits and a higher price , with a goal to more than double membership. Will the upgrades to REI’s lifetime membership program help the co-op reach a younger and more diverse audience?

The Container Store introduced on Tuesday a new logo, tagline — “Welcome to The Organization” — and brand campaign. The new logo is the brand’s first overhaul in its 44-year history. Will emotional storytelling relate better than functional messaging for The Container Store?

Walmart isn’t waiting on Amazon.com. The retailer has launched a special sales event that is exclusive to Walmart+ subscribers. Will Walmart’s current Walmart+ sales event be successful in attracting large numbers of new members to the service?

Landry’s Inc., the parent of Morton’s steakhouse, Bubba Gump Shrimp and a number of other restaurants, recently introduced the first bitcoin loyalty program in the hospitality space. Is cryptocurrency likely more of an enticement for many loyalty members than cash-back and other traditional rewards?

New research finds low levels of perceived loyalty by consumers towards brands and concludes that at least some brands are confusing repeat purchasing with loyalty. Have habitual purchases become a less reliable indicator of brand loyalty?

Amazon.com is raising the price for an annual subscription to its Prime program to $139 a year in the U.S., up from the current $119, which took effect in 2018.  Do you expect that Prime members will be okay with the hike in Amazon’s annual subscription rate?

Meijer is offering free deliveries of groceries on orders of $35 or more through Jan. 29 in an attempt to support customers who may be unable to shop at its stores or reluctant to do so as a result of the Omicron variant’s spread. Will Meijer’s free delivery gesture lead to higher net promoter scores or increased use of home delivery beyond Jan. 29?

Vivek Sankaran, CEO at Albertsons Cos., believes that, while consumers may become loyal to a grocery store because of the proximity to their home or the values being offered, the steady stream of repeat visits are often the biggest loyalty builder. Does customer loyalty work differently in grocery than in other retail channels?