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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Nordstrom Opens Outlet Next to Flagship
Typically, department store retailers place their flagship locations in a major mall or prime downtown location while their discount outlets are often miles away. Nordstrom, however, has opened one of…
BrainTrust Query: Is Klout the New Kredit Score?
Celebrities have long been known to receive special treatment — the best seats in the house like front of the line access and healthy discounts on the things they buy…
BrainTrust Query: ‘Great’ Can Be the Enemy of ‘Good’ Using Customer Data
Many retailers that have assembled fairly impressive customer databases over the years still struggle to leverage these data efficiently and effectively. Trying to ingest all this data can be tantamount…
Retailers Among J.D. Power’s Customer Service Champions
Customer service has become even more important since the Great Recession hit, so says J.D. Power and Associates. Retailers that fit the bill made the J.D. Power 2012 Customer Service…
Oatmeal Brand Pays to Become ‘Choice of a New Generation’
The breakdown: Quaker Oats, a division of Pepsico, is the brand leader in the oatmeal category. MOM Brands, formerly Malt-O-Meal, has rolled out a line of new instant oatmeal. The…
A&P Ready to Write New Chapter as Private Co.
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (aka A&P) filed for Chapter 11 in December 2010. Just under fifteen months later, the supermarket operator has emerged from bankruptcy as a…
Health Clinics – Are Retailers Missing the Hispanic Opportunity?
As retail medical clinics chain operators contend that the new services will improve access to medical care among the uninsured or underserved. However, these clinics have been opened more often…
Walmart to Move Customers’ Videos to the Cloud
Walmart Entertainment has created a licensing program allowing consumers to go to any of the chain’s stores, present any number of DVDs they own (distributed by any of five Hollywood…
Sears Betting Its Future on Technology
Back in February of last year when Sears Holdings named Lou D’Ambrosio as its new chief executive, it was clear that the decision was made because of his background in…
Retail Customer Experience: Eight Ways the Smartphone Can Help Your Customers Love You
At GlobalShop held in Las Vegas, Molly Garris, director of digital strategy at Arc Worldwide, outlined eight examples of how retailers can use mobile technologies to increase sales. What are…
Judge: DEA Can Suspend Drug Sales at CVS Stores
Recently the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has made headlines by taking steps to prevent pharmacies from selling addictive drugs. But instead of the stores being some stereotypical back alley operation,…
Buying Power Provides Competitive Advantage
Bigger isn’t necessarily better, but it does have its benefits. Just ask Apple, which has found a competitive advantage in being able to buy all kinds of components for its…
Whole Foods Launches Sustainable Living E-Zine
Whole Foods Market has launched an online magazine that explores food, art, health and sustainable living. The content includes video, photography, recipes and articles from “mentors and inventors” in the…
Nordstrom Delivers with Free In-Store Shipping
Back in August, Nordstrom announced it would offer free shipping and returns for all online orders. Fast forward to the present and Nordstrom is again seeking to meet the needs…
BrainTrust Query: Misleading Indicators
Marketing spends and store openings were long seen as indicators of retailer and marketer health. Now, many of the majors claim that they can cut and convert current resources without…
Best Buy Taps Starbucks’ Star as CIO
A CIO hiring rarely makes headline retail news. But Best Buy did just that in naming Stephen Gillett, who oversaw Starbucks’ recent digital conquests, to head Bestbuy.com and the electronic…
Older Shoppers Irritated by Supermarket Layout Changes
According to a recent survey of 1,000 U.K. shoppers by Aldata, adjustments within store layouts and placement of products have led to frustration and confusion for older shoppers. Are retailers…
Amex Cardholders Get Tweet Deals
Don’t visit Twitter without it. A new program from American Express allows members to sync their cards with Twitter and, by sending out tweets using customized hashtags, receive special offers…
Foursquare Members Check-In for Savings at Walgreens
Foursquare members looking for a good deal can seek it at Walgreens now whenever they check-in at one of the chain’s stores using their Android, Blackberry or iPhone. By doing…
U.S. and Europe Find Common Ground on Organics
In an outbreak of peace in the food world, the United States and European Union (EU) have agreed to accept one another’s definitions of “organic” so that food labeled as…
Apple’s ‘Resolutionary’ New iPad Makes Its Debut
Apple unveiled its new iPad yesterday and so far the reviews seem very positive. The new tablet is faster than its predecessor, comes with a super high resolution Retina display,…
