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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Ad Industry Acting its Age?
Madison Avenue’s obsession with youth appears to be fading. Many brands are said to be switching to targeting a much broader audience, including those over the age of 55. Has…
Kids Still Being Targeted – But Differently
New guidelines proposed by the FTC, FDA, Agriculture Department and the CDC at the request of Congress aim to encourage a re-think on how the food industry target markets to…
Foodies Under Attack!
With the preening of celebrity chefs mixing with sermons around recreating the world’s food supply system, foodies are getting some flack lately. Is there a brewing backlash against foodies? Could…
Studies: Farmers’ Markets Cheaper Than Grocery Stores
Farmers’ markets are more popular than ever, with the number of markets doubling over the past decade, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Do farmers’ markets represent a competitive…
PC Sales Decline. Don’t Blame the iPad.
Conventional wisdom that the decline in personal computer sales is the result of the popularity of the Apple iPad and other tablet devices is not really correct. What do you…
CSD: What Walmart’s New C-Stores Mean for the Industry
It appears that Walmart plans on setting up hundreds of convenience stores in the near future and many of these will be completed before 2012. What do you think small…
Amazon’s CEO Calls for Federal Action on Sales Taxes
Amazon has already pulled up stakes (or refused to put them down, in some cases) in several states over disputes involving the collection of sales taxes. Do you agree or…
Food Lion’s Not So Extreme Makeover
Last summer, Food Lion began surveying its customers about what they would like to see in its stores. The grocery chain has responded and last week began testing a number…
BrainTrust Query: The Napster Moment
In 1999, a teenager and a relatively simple piece of technology rocked the music industry. The teen was Shawn Fanning, the technology was P2P file sharing, the phenomenon was Napster…
Internet Boom or Bust: Part II?
In the late nineties and early 2000’s internet companies attracted investment and then promptly went belly-up. The online grocery firm Webvan was perhaps the most prominent of those in retailing…
Schnucks Promotes ‘Peace of Mind’
Schnuck Markets rolled out phase one of its “Peace of Mind” ad campaign in January promoting its competitive prices. With phase two, it’s all about the quality of products it…
BrainTrust Query: Will You Be Fired Because of the New Acquisition?
Acquisition activity is increasing. Industry leaders are turning around and looking to improve their short and long-term profits by buying some of the competition. Do you agree that customer relationships…
IHOP to the Grocery Store
IHOP is the latest foodservice operator to try its luck in grocery stores. The restaurant chain announced a new line of premium frozen breakfast items under the “IHOP at Home”…
Best Buy Exploring Electric Car Sales
It began selling electric motorcycles and bikes in 2009 and now installs home chargers for some electric vehicles, so it’s probably not a complete leap that Best Buy is looking…
BrainTrust Query: Moments of Connectivity
In customer experience management we often talk about moments of truth to define those times in which there is significant opportunity for good or bad impressions to be made. Which…
Do Not Track!
Mimicking the “do not call” laws passed to stop over-aggressive soliciting by telemarketers, lawmakers on Friday indicated they plan to introduce two “do not track” privacy bills to enable people…
Retail Customer Experience: Body-Scanning Kiosks a Perfect Fit for Retailers
The average woman tries on 15 pairs of jeans before buying one pair, according to Women’s Day magazine. Now there’s a new kiosk on the market that promises to make…
BrainTrust Query: What Retail Chains Need to Know About Small Brands
In over 30 years in the retail consumer goods business, David Biernbaum played a part in launching numerous “small brands” that later became mainstays in the CPG arena, by working…
Farmers’ Markets Bloom Again
Farmers’ markets appear to be opening in warming parts of the country to strong crowds and highly-positive press. Last year, 6,132 farmers’ markets were open nationwide, a 16 percent increase…
TimesLimited is No Groupon
The New York Times wants in on the daily deal business, but in its own way. TimesLimited, launched by the paper in late March, “is dedicated to bringing its subscribers…
BrainTrust Query: Supervalu – Can it grow on multiple fronts?
Supervalu, which once had a laser-like focus on its business model with a “total commitment to serving customers more effectively than anyone else could serve them” seems unsure of what…
