Corporate Responsibility Programs

Following shareholder pressure around the company's hiring practices, Amazon.com has retained former Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct a racial equity study. Amazon said in a filing last week that the audit would "evaluate any disparate racial impacts" of its policies on its U.S. hourly employees. The company said the audit will be conducted by Lynch,…

Purpose-driven marketing has become a bit of a buzzword (like omnichannel … don’t get me started). However, with an overwhelming 94 percent of consumers saying they value purpose-driven companies, it's imperative for marketers to authentically communicate their brand’s story. These values need to be transparent and reflected across the organization to work cross-functionally. Whether it's…

Macy's announced Tuesday a $5 billion "transformation" commitment that includes raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, diversifying its leadership, and using more sustainably-sourced raw materials and fibers. The spending, part of Macy's "Mission Every One" social justice platform, is broken down into three categories: people, communities and planet. Under the "people" pillar, Macy's…

In episode 338 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Victor Sanz, creative director of TUMI, the world-class business and travel essentials brand designed to upgrade, uncomplicate and beautify all aspects of life on the move. Listen in as Sanz discusses TUMI's longstanding partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, how the brand drives…

Amazon.com is celebrating Black History Month with “Remarkably Black – Black and worthy of remark” — a month-long celebration of all things that are remarkable about being Black. The company has made it easier than ever for its more than 300 million customers to discover and shop thousands of products from Black-owned businesses during February and beyond.…

Statistically speaking, the pandemic has had a profound impact on how consumers are making decisions, as well as on the factors that lead to customer love or customer dissatisfaction. In addition to the uptick in online shopping and direct delivery, we’ve also seen consumers embracing new options on everything from where to source their food…

2020 was an inflection point for conscious consumerism. After a tumultuous year of social justice issues, more people are carefully evaluating the products they purchase and the companies they support. Research from Futurity indicates that 55 percent of consumers are paying more attention to brand values than they were a year ago, and 35 percent report their…

In episode 320 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Christine Grasser, manager of corporate communications, giving and volunteerism, and Sam Di Scipio, vice president of corporate communications, giving and volunteerism at Macy's. Grasser and Di Scipio discuss Macy's recent partnership with the National Retail Federation Foundation's RISE Up training and credentialing program, and how the…

Ikea is piloting a furniture buyback and resale program in the United States as it aims to make the service a permanent fixture at its stores nationwide. The pilot program will be available at its store in the Philadelphia suburb of Conshohocken from Monday through Sept. 19. It will eventually roll out to additional markets. Loyalty…

Want to provide more value to customers? Retailers should consider, if they haven’t already, diversifying their supplier network, especially since today’s consumers increasingly purchase goods and services from ethically sourced local, small and minority-owned businesses. Working with a select group of familiar, reliable suppliers might be working well (why upset the apple cart?). However, expanding…