Retail and consumer goods

Lessons from Walmart, Nordstrom, and Best Buy.

Alignment on mission and values, commitment to collaborative candor, and emphasis on employee share ownership has allowed the cosmetics company to thrive.

Three operational differences that allow them to make the most of the technology.

Lessons from Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, and Walmart.

Researchers found that service agents yield better results when they use warm language to start and end conversations, focusing on problem-solving in the middle.

A new CEO considers changes to her top team.

New research suggests that encouraging in-store pickup over home delivery could lead to more profitable sales, higher market shares, and sustainability-performance gains.

How global companies can not only navigate but thrive in new territories.

They should coordinate their complementary services to help consumers and better address the needs of employers and insurers.

Our minds can keep working on a task when we step away from it.

An advanced AI model considers much more than what competitors are charging.

A Chinese appliance maker considers expanding production to Mexico.

If they can’t “see into” the system, they’re more apt to approach it with blind faith.

Research finds that consumers treat refunds as money they’ve already spent.

An interview with Tim Simmons, chief product officer of Sam’s Club

This issue's Spotlight includes three articles about the often misunderstood importance of low-wage employees to a company's success. In "The High Cost...

New research finds that despite being demonstrably worse for the environment, overpackaging increases consumers’ perceptions of environmental friendliness.

Empowering frontline workers to take small actions, like waiving a fee or allowing a return outside of the window, can boost the loyalty of both customers and employees.

A discount retailer that’s struggling to maintain margins needs a new strategy.

Takeaways from interviews and a survey of 35,000 older U.S. employees.