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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do retailers need to establish a chief health officer role or retain health experts to guide reopenings and prepare for future outbreaks? Where in particular do you see the need for health advice? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : Should there be someone in this position? Yes if you are an organization that is large enough to have one but in many cases, this is not possible. Small Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What is your take on the significance of the Walmart/Shopify deal? What will it mean for Amazon and others such as Target that also have online marketplaces? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : Never underestimate Walmart! They have a specific goal in mind for the percentage of revenue they want to have by 2024 and they have the logistics bones to make it happen. The combination of store Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How do you expect retailers to address coronavirus-related delivery surcharges being placed on them by UPS and FedEx? Do you think American consumers will accept higher product prices or delivery fees for online orders considering the circumstances? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : The industry has to be open to a more equitable share of the cost for shipping. If not, what happens? Either the retailer ends up Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What is your view on how retailers and brands have reacted to nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd? What should stores do in response to looting situations? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : The mayor of Atlanta said it best when she spoke. These actions by looters and rioters who burn police cars and loot stores are not helping the situation. She urged those that are Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: In what ways, if any, have you seen consumers change how they use retail therapy since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus? Do you expect the practice of buying things to feel better to increase, decrease or remain the same over the next six months? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : We are not going out to restaurants, bars, music or theater events, which in NYC can be Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Will bookstores in the U.S. experience renewed interest when they reopen, similar to what happened in the New Zealand market, and for the same reasons? What should bookstores do to prepare and make themselves more successful in the post-COVID-19 world? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : I am a news and politics junkie and have now added all of the mini whitepapers and reports on what to do Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Will Dom’s Market & Kitchen have any advantages starting its grocery concept from scratch? How much do you think pandemic-era planning will inform the long-term characteristics of the new stores? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : Yes, he will have quite an advantage for the following reasons: 1.) Having the experience he has had in previous businesses and more specifically testing all of the experiential ideas, he had Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Should retailers perform temperature checks on associates and customers before they enter stores? Does the testing of customers pose any more or less of a challenge versus employees? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : Yes,by all means they should do whatever is necessary to stop the madness! We may never get things going if we, as Americans do what what we did this weekend. What the heck were people thinking? Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What changes do you expect under the “new normal” of retail operations at food retailers? What change do you hope COVID-19 brings operationally to food grocery? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : One change that I hope sticks around is that the situation has all of us showing gratitude and respect to essential workers in-store and throughout the supply chain. As Warren says, “Without them we are screwed.” Read more…

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Are concerns about Amazon’s motivation for developing face shields at-cost for frontline healthcare workers valid or overblown? Do you think that other large retailers are likely to follow Amazon’s lead in developing their own private label personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and/or the general public? Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments, featured on RetailWire’s Braintrust : You know what? Let’s worry about that once things are under control. Right now, our frontline Read more…