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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
American Apparel Takes Heat for Storm Sale
American Apparel CEO Dov Charney is standing by his company’s decision to run a Sandy Huricane sale with the response that it was doing its part to help those affected…
Apple’s ‘He’s-No-Steve-Jobs’ Problem
Recent events have fingers pointing to the top of the Apple pyramid where CEO Tim Cook is in the unenviable position of carrying on the Steve Jobs legacy. Similarly, many…
FRBuyer: Fresh Taking Toll on Center Store
Retailers are looking to differentiate by adding more fresh meal items, and different sized items, in meals, snacks and desserts. The goal is to take business away from restaurants, but…
BrainTrust Query: Navigating Retail’s White Out
Identifying and seizing white space opportunities was once a lot easier. Today, it requires hitting a moving target, as retailers continue to market their own brands and opportunistically jump into…
Feeding the Loners
Ironically heralding it as a “hidden opportunity,” a new study from the Hartman Group reveals that eating alone is becoming one of those new normals. Are grocers shortchanging the market…
Apple Turns to Interior Decoration
More expensive than most light bulbs but less expensive than re-decorating, Apple’s new iBulb means color in a room can be varied at the touch of a … computer. Do…
Hurricane Sandy Wreaks Havoc But Impact On Retail Mixed
This week’s Hurricane Sandy took a tremendous toll on people’s lives. The retail impact, however, is not as straightforward. While many retailers will suffer, many could benefit from increased sales…
Simplifying Front Of Pack Information
After years of debate in Britain about the pros and cons of various front of pack labeling schemes, a decision seems to have been made. By next summer, it is…
Getting Your Social Media Stars Into Alignment
Wall Street Journal columnist Alexandra Samuel uses the term “co-branded employees” to refer to those social media stars expected to support the corporate mission while maintaining their own brand by…
Holiday Forecasts: Partly to Mostly Merry
It’s not quite as good as an unexpected gift, but the National Retail Federation (NRF), the Platt Retail Institute (PRI) and FedEx expect shoppers will be spending more during the…
RSR Research: The Power of Micro Sentiment
When it comes to using sentiment as a new demand signal, retailers are learning that they need to analyze what people are saying about them in order to get early…
Amazon Slams iPad mini
Amazon.com has put up a homepage dedicated to the proposition of making the Kindle Fire HD look good and the iPad mini appear as though it is Apple’s unscrupulous way…
BrainTrust Query: Price Transparency – Five Strategies to Address the Paradigm Shift in Retail
Rather than ignore it or try to fight it, retailers need to add customer-perceived value to their products and services that justify a higher price than an online-only retailer. Which…
Whole Foods Brings Brooklyn Foodies Market to Manhattan
Beginning October 22, select vendors from Brooklyn Flea’s popular Smorgasburg outdoor foodies markets began setting up shop for month-long pop-ups in Whole Foods’ Bowery store. Should grocers be aligning themselves…
Does Layaway Pay?
A piece on The Wall Street Journal website offers consumers some reasons why they should not put items on layaway. With the economy showing signs of improvement, is it just…
Sainsbury’s Tells Suppliers They Can Wait to Be Paid
Sainsbury’s has entered the Forum of Private Business (FPB) “hall of shame” for slow payers. Extending payment times has allegedly left some small businesses worried about cash flow and even…
Real Women Take to the Runway
Does this look good on me? A common question coming out of store dressing rooms across the country may now have an online answer with “Our Runway,” a social shopping…
FDA Investigates Whether Energy Drinks Caused Deaths
Energy drinks manufactured by Monster Beverage Company have been linked to five deaths in the past year, according to reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. What should retailers…
Disney Associates Succeed By Faking It
At Walt Disney’s theme parks, often the way employees deliver their smiles, attentive assistance and perky attitude is by faking it, according to a recent study from the University of…
New iPad is No Kindle Killer
That great sighing sound you heard coming from the Northwest on Tuesday was the collective expression of relief coming from Amazon.com’s headquarters when Apple introduced its new iPad Mini with…
RadioShack May Disconnect Mobile Kiosks in Target
Back in 2010 when Target launched full-service mobile phone centers operated by RadioShack, the deal was billed as a win-win. Now there appears to be only one winner in the…
