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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
When Black Friday Comes
With Black Friday only one week away, it is interesting to see there are a growing number of stores looking to gain an advantage by opening earlier than in past…
Target CEO Feeling All Merry About Holiday Prospects
While the usually conservative retailer is not ready to go marching around to “Happy Days Are Here Again,” Target’s CEO is feeling positive about its prospects for the holiday season…
Study: Beauty Ads Make Women Feel Bad
A recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research found ads featuring beauty products lower women’s self-esteem. Does it make sense that beauty ads affect the self-esteem of women in…
Gift Cards on Most Holiday Shopping Lists
According to recent research, consumers ranked gift cards as the number one most requested gift for the fourth straight year. Considering the increased demand in the market, what can merchants…
Google’s Boutique in Beta Launch
Over the past year, according to the company, Google brought together the best computer and fashion “nerds” within the organization “to create a new way to browse, discover and shop…
Restaurants, Grocers Offer Thanksgiving Alternatives
A growing number of restaurants and grocery stores are offering options other than spending hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning for Thanksgiving this year. Given the economy, do you…
CSD: Family Express Builds Cyber Training Center
Family Express’ new corporate headquarters in Valparaiso, IN not only features offices and a fitness center, but combines two other training centers into one cyber training center. What are the…
All You Need is The Beatles
Apple and Apple Corps have put down their dueling lawyers to finally allow the biggest music seller on the planet to offer digital music downloads from the most influential band…
Lead Paint in Reusable Bags Raises Safety Concerns
A report published last week by The Tampa Tribune that found reusable bags sold at Publix and Winn-Dixie contained high levels of lead has led to a flurry of announcements…
FD Buyer: Pricing Your PL
Today’s private label products and packaging are as good as, or better than, the national brands. Yet some retailers still treat their private labels a stepchild. What would be some…
Sears’ Service Makes Customer for Life
Many of the articles on The Consumerist website read as though they were penned for a fictitious show called “Stupid Retailing Tricks.” But recent story about a broken wrench is…
BrainTrust Query: Gen Y’s Moment of Truth
A new poll from Harris Interactive suggests that 90 percent of adults ages 18-34 believe that the advertising they see is truthful (at least some of the time). In contrast,…
Kroger CEO Walks the Talk
Kroger Co. chairman and CEO David Dillon frequently does “shopalongs” alongside core customers, goes incognito on store visits, visits stores unannounced and even visits consumers in their homes. What insight…
J.C. Penney Launches Growth Brands Division
J.C. Penney plans to launch three new businesses. The first two are online-only businesses; the third, a brick & mortar business/online chain, will sell big and tall clothing for…
Supermarkets Struggle
Supermarket sales were up only 0.12 percent last year and same-store revenues fell 0.82 percent, according to the 2010 Food Retailing Industry Speaks: Annual State of the Industry Review from…
BrainTrust Query: Facebook Participatory Promotions
Last week, Lowe’s and Gap joined Walmart in launching Facebook Participatory Promotions. These retailers are taking Facebook marketing up a notch by adding an element of fun. In what ways…
Barnes & Noble Testing Toy Shops
Books are a tough sell these days and Barnes & Noble is looking for ways to make the space in its stores more productive. One possible answer the chain has…
FDA Wants to Scare People Out of Smoking
Feet hanging out from a hospital gurney with a toe tag, a woman holding a toddler who is inside a cloud of smoke she appears to have exhaled, another kid…
Trader Joe’s Moves in on Fairway’s Turf
Many gourmet grocers feel pressure when a Trader Joe’s opens nearby and Fairway Market, a Manhattan institution on the Upper West Side, is no exception. What type of competitive pressures…
Walmart Enters Free Shipping Fray
Walmart.com is looking to one-up its online competitors with a new free shipping deal in the run-up to Christmas, according to The New York Times. What will Walmart’s free shipping…
Retailers Push Christmas Against Consumer Wishes
Among the many pet peeves consumers have about the way retailers do business is the promotion of Christmas sales way before the actual holiday selling season begins in their minds…
