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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
RSR Research: Does Price Trump Assortment?
An early look at a consumer benchmark commissioned by FMI, Daymon Worldwide and the Hartman Group, highlights how differently Americans are buying, preparing and eating their food. Of interest was…
Banana Republic Looks to Make Consumer Love Connections
Valentine’s Day is near and the pressure is on to make the holiday romantically meaningful. Banana Republic is doing its part in a joint promotion with Match.com and celebrity blogger…
Why Are There So Few Women Execs in Retail?
Of all the businesses named to the 2013 National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) “Top 50 Companies for Executive Women” list only one — Target — is a retailer. Why…
BrainTrust Query: Are Retailers Partnering With Brands or Biting the Hands That Fund Them?
Over the last twenty years, several industry movements have served as catalysts for “partnering” between retailers and suppliers, but lasting partnerships among brands and retailers, not so much. What are…
Grocers Feeling the Heat From Restaurants in Prepared Foods
With the economy showing some recovery, consumers are purchasing fewer prepared meals from supermarkets, according to a study from Technomic. What steps should grocers be taking to increase the appeal…
Will Consumers Accept Surcharges on Credit Card Purchases?
It’s not uncommon to find gas stations offering consumers a lower price when they pay cash to fill up their cars. But, now that all retailers have the option of…
What Does Apple Get By Trademarking Its Store Design?
Apple’s retail store design was granted a trademark from the U.S Patent and Trademark Office last week. How important is store design to retailers’ differentiation strategies? What does Apple get…
Fresh & Easy is Open and Planning to Stay That Way
Tesco may be considering its alternatives when it comes to doing business in the U.S., but the company’s Fresh & Easy division wants its shoppers to know there’s no reason…
BrainTrust Query: Which Emerging Payment System Is Best?
Which emerging payment system is best? One thing we can say confidently is that the payment landscape will change over the next three to five years. Which emerging payment solution…
Were This Year’s Super Bowl Spots the Worst Ever?
Yesterday’s Super Bowl proved, in the end, to be a memorable game. The same cannot be said for the commercials on the broadcast that were, for the most part, awful…
Study Says: Vendor Turf Fights Are Good For Retailers
It may be inconvenient to shoppers, but the optimal store layout should take in the price benefits that come from enabling manufacturers to compete on location in the store, according…
Compete Blog: Is Customer Service the New Marketing?
Many marketers are evaluating what role customer experience and customer service should have in their 2013 marketing goals. The answer is not cut and dry. With purchase decisions more closely…
Are Early Super Bowl Ads Socially Stunted?
In recent years, commercials intended for the Super Bowl are now aired days if not weeks before the kickoff, missing the truly social situation of millions of people enjoying a…
Big Change Up North, No More Pennies
Canada isn’t going to mint pennies any longer. It costs the Canadian government 1.6 cents for every penny made. Beginning next week (Feb. 4), the country will begin phasing out…
CPGmatters: How Can Marketers Minimize Invoice Deductions?
For CPG manufacturers, invoice deductions and charge-backs are part of doing business with retailers. These deductions can include everything from temporary price reductions and slotting allowances to damaged cases or…
BrainTrust Query: How Can Companies Go From Fractured Insights to Holistic Understanding?
In larger companies, specialized insight functions may differ based on the necessity of satisfying the decision-making needs of different stakeholders. But problems commonly occur when they are not in alignment…
Watch Out Whole Foods, Aldi Has Organics
There’s little doubt that organics have gone mainstream. The latest case-in-point is Aldi, which has added organic produce in a number of its divisions. Will Aldi be successful with its…
Is Amazon Ready to Deliver Groceries Beyond Seattle?
Every couple of years we report on rumors that Amazon.com is getting ready to take its grocery delivery service beyond its test market, but according to a Seattle Times report,…
Will Shoppers Return as J.C. Penney Brings Back Sales Promos?
It’s been well documented here and everywhere else that J.C. Penney’s “Fair and Square Pricing” strategy has failed. Now, Penney has reversed course and is bringing back sales with the…
Retailers and Restaurants Support Immigration Effort
An outline of possible immigration legislation put forth by eight U.S. senators and supported by President Obama has received a positive response from associations representing retailers and restaurant operators. Does…
BrainTrust Query: How Should Loyalty Programs Extend Digitally?
New communications channels can be easily plugged into a loyalty program. But the question remains, which channels are the right ones to connect and how do marketers know which to…
