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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
FDA’s New Wrinkle on Nanotech Research
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said in the past that it doesn’t believe nanotechnology is “inherently unsafe,” there are still questions over potential health effects. Are the…
Junk Mail Works Down Under
Some may find it annoying, but direct mail (AKA junk mail) is effective. At least that’s the case in Australia, according to a new study. What do you see as…
Target to Fire Amazon’s Kindle Line
For a lot of people, it never made a whole lot of sense that retailers would choose to sell rival Amazon’s Kindle e-reader and tablet devices. But they have had…
BrainTrust Query: Trunk Club’s Full-Price, Full-Service Model
Trunk Club has received a fair amount of attention lately for bringing men’s personal shopping to the internet. It’s marketed as a service for men who want to look great…
‘King of Pop’ is Dead But Still Pitching Pepsi
There was a strangeness to Michael Jackson’s life and now, it seems, things are remaining that way after his death. PepsiCo in conjunction with Sony Music and Mr. Jackson’s estate…
For the Love of Food
In almost every presentation and conversation at FMI, George Anderson heard about better ways to buy, ship, display, price and sell all types of bags, bottles, boxes and cans. What…
Skip the Flowers. Mom Really Wants an iPad
While iPads and smartphones were the rage during holiday time, mom shouldn’t expect one for Mother’s Day. According to the survey from PriceGrabber, only 13 percent of consumers plan to…
MarketingCharts: Asking the Right Questions Can Increase SocNet Buzz
Recent research has not been kind when it comes to examining the relationship between Facebook fans and engagement: April 2012 survey results from a group of professors show that almost…
FMI Speaks: What’s Next?
Though there didn’t seem to be a lot of new findings in this year’s FMI Speaks report, that takeaway would be a mistake, according to FMI president Leslie Sarasin. She…
Shopping All Over (the House)
Ninety-five percent of e-commerce purchases are still taking place in the home, according to a new global survey commissioned by WorldPay. But those purchases are being made all over the…
PL Buyer: Cup of Convenience
With rising fuel prices forcing consumers to cut back on purchases at convenience stores, convenience stores have been ramping up their foodservice efforts and it’s been paying off. What…
Family Dollar Antes Up On Food and More
Family Dollar recently announced plans to add tobacco, PepsiCo beverages, and name brand cosmetics from L’Oreal and Maybelline as it looks to drive traffic and capture greater share of its…
RSR Research: Facebook Open Graph and Graphite
There’s one area where Facebook has been less than a roaring success — in helping retailers actually sell stuff. The “like” button just didn’t do the job. Facebook’s answer? Open…
Old Navy Sees Smooth Sailing Ahead
Old Navy has international aspirations and the Gap Inc. division thinks its value-priced fashions, along with a new president recruited from H&M, has it positioned to navigate the competitive storms…
BrainTrust Query: Five Steps to Effective Social Retailing
With retailers still exploring the use of social media — or social retailing, for short — there are very few established best practices around this new type of marketing and…
Wegmans Sees Smaller Stores as Good Fit in Beantown
Wegmans is looking into opening up locations in the city of Boston but officials are admitting to being apprehensive about the move. In Fall 2013, a store measuring only 70,000…
H-E-B Takes on Competitors Big and Small
H-E-B’s competitors in Texas come in all shapes and sizes, and the company has succeeded by refusing to adopt one-size-fits-all types of responses with a couple of recent examples to…
Walmart Customers to Use Cash to Buy Online
No plastic, no problem. That’s the message from Walmart, which has announced a new initiative that allows consumers to go online to place orders and then pay for them with…
Digital Retailing to Take Off in Airports
While one view envisions an airport shopping experience fully capitalizing on smartphone-touting consumers, a more futuristic view sees virtual airport stores replacing physical ones. How do you see emerging mobile…
A Great Time to Go Shwopping
The U.K. retail chain Marks & Spencer has announced a sustainable fashion initiative, asking consumers to trade-in an unwanted piece of clothing every time they purchase a new item —…
BrainTrust Query: One Big Reason Why Game Theory Will Drive Customer Loyalty
In the debate over extending the impact of gamification beyond engagement to create longer term loyalty, strong voices are challenging the ability of game mechanics to create tangible behavior shifts…
