All posts by Javier Rodriguez

Who will win the battle for holiday gift procrastinators?

Category Management, Retail,

Which last-minute holiday options resonate most with holiday procrastinators? How will the intensified battle to make last-minute ordering more convenient affect shopper behavior this holiday season? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: I must admit that I am one of those last-minute shoppers, so for me, all of those options are welcome. The online delivery … Continue reading Who will win the battle for holiday gift procrastinators? →

Are retailers getting over their SKU management hurdles?

Category Management, Retail,

Is using sales-based hurdle rates still the best way to determine which items should get space on food, drug and mass merchant store shelves? Are there exceptions that should apply? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: For many of the categories mentioned in the article; private label, organic, etc., this makes sense. The challenge will … Continue reading Are retailers getting over their SKU management hurdles? →

Where will Amazon go with its cashier-free concept?

Category Management, Retail,

What do you think of the upside potential for Amazon to open smaller Go stores in office buildings, airports and markets outside the U.S.? Do any of these stand out to you as being substantially greater opportunities? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: I had commented a few months back that I visited an Amazon … Continue reading Where will Amazon go with its cashier-free concept? →

Have retail store associates fallen into a hypnotic state?

Category Management, Retail,

What common practices on selling floors lead associates towards hypnotic-like states? What suggestions would you add for keeping the job fresh for store associates? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: I would engage store associates to learn about aspects of retail they may not even be aware of. Things like the supply chain — where … Continue reading Have retail store associates fallen into a hypnotic state? →

Millennial brand loyalty comes into question

Category Management, Retail

In your experience are Millennials a particularly brand-loyal generation? What do you see as the keys for retailers seeking to attract and retain Millennial customers? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: As stated, service and quality of product and, yes, price — especially for those that are now parents. Prior to becoming a parent, Millennials … Continue reading Millennial brand loyalty comes into question →

Will a radical transformation lift or sink IKEA?

Category Management, Retail

Do you see IKEA’s shift to smaller, city-center stores and heightened focus on online delivery as smart moves? What should the company retain from the traditional IKEA business model? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: Getting closer to where the typical consumer of IKEA products live makes sense. Having rooms set up to see how … Continue reading Will a radical transformation lift or sink IKEA? →

CVS’ new concept is about the health of its customers

Category Management, Retail

What can CVS do to differentiate its health services concept from Walgreens’ new concept and vice versa? Do you think CVS would be better served separating its new health services concept into a distinct format while operating its drugstore format separately? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: If CVS could pull off doing this in … Continue reading CVS’ new concept is about the health of its customers →

What if artificial intelligence is biased?

Category Management, Data Analysis

How big a concern are latent biases embedded in artificial technology? Are retailers using artificial intelligence equipped to uncover and fix these biases? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: Garbage in — garbage out. If the data the algorithm is being trained on is not somehow scrutinized or scrubbed, it will likely be based on … Continue reading What if artificial intelligence is biased? →

Will organic food sales soar on the latest cancer research?

Category Management, News & Events

What do you see as the primary factors influencing people who choose to eat organic vs. conventionally produced foods? Will the publicity around this new research study add to the momentum of organic food sales in the U.S.? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments: It is only a matter of time before people will realize … Continue reading Will organic food sales soar on the latest cancer research? →