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CPGmatters: Chobani Leverages Sampling to Stir Up Yogurt Category in Supermarkets
Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya believed that, if he could get samples of his Greek yogurt into the hands and mouths of grocery shoppers in the U.S., his startup would be…
June Brings Summertime Blues
June’s monthly retail results were reportedly the worst in more than two years, raising concerns about a possible slowdown in consumer spending just ahead of the critical back-to-school selling season…
Have App, Will Shop
American shoppers are experimenting with reality. An IBM-supplied augmented reality app is being tested at unnamed U.S. retail chains that lets shoppers specify the ingredients they want in the products…
Live from DC: It’s LivingSocial Events!
LivingSocial is looking to put some space between itself and Groupon with the launch of live events at 918 F Street in the nation’s capital. Best of all for the…
PL Buyer: Sprouting Wings
With its move to buy Sunflower Farmers Market, Sprouts Farmers Market will become the second largest natural and organic foods retailer behind Whole Foods Market. What do you think of…
Walmart Launches Preemptive Strike in Canada
In an apparent early move in preparation for Target’s planned entry into Canada in Spring 2013, Walmart Canada last week announced a program to lower prices on 10,000 products in…
Best Buy Bets Future on Connected Store
Best Buy is going smaller and more “Connected” and this new future for the consumer electronics chain is on display inside a new format store in Richfield, MN. Will the…
Back-to-School Starts Early
We see Christmas in July sales and Halloween items on display by Labor Day, so it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that some stores are already beginning…
FD Buyer: Grocery Outlet Grows
Some of the numbers at Grocery Outlet just boggle the mind. For the uninitiated, the company is best known for helping manufacturers nationwide sell “problem products” and closeouts to eager…
Study: Smartphones Shoppers Not So Bad for Brick & Mortar
Despite rampant showrooming concerns, a new study finds smartphones “contributing to — not taking away from — in-store sales,” with smartphone shoppers 14 percent more likely to convert and make…
Study: Millennials to Shake Up Supermarket World
Millennials are on their way to replacing Boomers as the biggest consumer group and and the change is likely to cause havoc for grocers, according to the study, Trouble in…
RSR Research: The Retail IT Brain Drain
There’s a significant lack of IT talent available to retailers. It causes project delays, higher costs in general (as those with specific skills become contractors for hire) and deterioration in…
Affordable Care Act Gets OK From High Court
The Affordable Care Act is now officially the law of the land after the Supreme Court ruled that the disputed individual mandate was constitutional. What do you see as the…
Are Organic Foods the New Luxury?
Due to increasing health consciousness, knowledge of genetically modified foods and pesticides, and an overall more-conscientious consumer, organic and natural foods are being seen as a luxury purchase, according to…
Store Brand Promos Gone Wild
A host of grocers are running campaigns touting their private label offerings, some rather quietly and others loudly. What are some of the most effective and cost-efficient ways for grocers…
Will the Internet Kill Zone Pricing?
Zone pricing is common in retail. But how much will consumer access to pricing information support or deter retailers from using zone pricing in the future? Will brick and click…
Amazon Launches Store for X Games Crowd
Amazon.com sells everything. At least, it often seems that way. The latest category to get the Amazon treatment is “action sports.” How will Amazon’s venture into action sports affect…
BrainTrust Query: Six Tips to Drive Inventory Turnover
An inventory that’s turning quickly typically is lean and focused with exceptional assortments, a continuous flow of new merchandise and compelling presentations. All of that leads to customers who visit…
Nordstrom is Finally Ready to Take Manhattan
The long wait is over. Nordstrom is finally getting set to pull the trigger on a deal that would bring its flagship department store to the Big Apple with a…
Shopping at Wegmans on a Sunday Afternoon
As RetailWire readers know, George Anderson thinks pretty highly of Wegmans. But like many other American families facing rising costs in an uncertain economic environment, Wegmans, was a budget…
RSR Research: Death of the Small Store Owner?
A friend of BrainTrust panelist Nikki Baird, who owns a store in a small mountain town in Colorado, recently called with a question that rocked her back on her heels:…
