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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
PMA Acts to Grow Produce Consumption
At the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Annual Convention earlier this week, the association’s president, Bryan Silbermann, said the industry is in a bit of a funk and then challenged the…
Online Impulse Buys Depend On Speed of Delivery
According to Knowledge@Wharton the subject of how to encourage impulse purchases is just as fascinating (and challenging) for online retailers as those operating from bricks and mortar premises. How likely…
Peapod Grows in Hoosier State
Online grocery services have come and gone, but Peapod remains. The company recently expanded its coverage area to include Marion, Hamilton, Hendricks and Johnson counties in Indiana. Why has Peapod…
Recalls Plague the Tylenol Brand
Johnson & Johnson has been forced over the past year to recall 53 million bottles of Tylenol and other over-the-counter medicines it manufactures due to musty or moldy odors. Now,…
Color Brightens Up Private Label Packaging
Speaking at last month’s Private Brand Movement conference, Michael Ellgass, Walmart’s director of grocery marketing, acknowledged that customers thought that the initial Great Value redesign went a bit too far…
Vintage Fashion Becomes Status Symbol
A CNBC report said that a growing number of celebrities in Hollywood are not finding what they want in their own closets and going to vintage clothing shops to buy…
Facebook Faces Privacy Questions
Revelations in a Wall Street Journal report that the 10 most popular apps on Facebook have been transmitting the names of members and possibly those of their friends raises questions…
Retail Customer Experience: Groupon Responds – 95 Percent of Merchants Would Do It Again
A poll of 3,000 merchants who used the Groupon service found that more than 95 percent wanted to work with the company again or would recommend the service to another…
Innovation Needs Playmates
In his best-selling book, “Where Good Ideas Come From,” Steven Johnson throws cold water on the notion that revolutionary breakthroughs typically arrive through a “eureka moment” by a solitary inventor,…
Starbucks Slows Down for the Better
After hearing complaints from customers about their coffees, Starbucks is telling its baristas to stop making more than two drinks at a time and to take other steps that may…
FD Buyer: Wholesale Dilemmas
It’s a tricky road ahead for wholesalers, with fewer big retailers, and perhaps even some spin-offs of small chains down the line. Fuel prices and SKU rationalization are key issues…
Dollar General Discount to Drive Holiday Toy Sales
It’s not likely that many individuals are going to spend $250 for the holidays on these items at Dollar General. There are individuals and organizations, however, engaged in toy drives…
NRF Warns Against Adding Value-Added Tax
A new study conducted by Ernst and Young and Tax Policy Advisers for the National Retail Federation predicts that the imposition of a European-style value-added tax (VAT) on top of…
PL Buyer: Correcting Some False Assumptions About Today’s Shopper
While many people have discussed a “new consumer” emerging from the downturn, Brian Sharoff, president of the Private Label Manufacturers Association, believes only about 25 percent have become more frugal…
Customization Moves Beyond Birthday Cakes
The internet has enabled many retailers to provide customizable options to their customers, and many of these options are being extended to their brick and mortar stores. What do you…
‘Made in America’ Drives Sales
Considering how few items are entirely made in the U.S. today, it is interesting that American consumers continue to express a preference in domestically-produced goods. How much of a competitive…
Retailer Daily: Facebook Fans More Valuable Customers
Whether recommending or using a product themselves, Facebook fans of a brand provide significantly more value as customers than non-fans, according to a study from digital consulting firm Syncapse Corp…
CPGmatters: Nestlé Deploys Virtual Shelf Tests to Revitalize Ice Cream Category
When Nestlé needed to test a new offering in ice cream cups last summer, the company set up a virtual store environment to let shoppers decide how best to market…
Surveys Say Wal-Mart’s Strong/Weak Holiday Season
Will this be the best of times or worst of times for Wal-Mart Stores? Two research studies reported on by Bloomberg News this week point to two distinctly different scenarios…
Gap on New Logo: Never Mind
A poll of RetailWire readers last week found that 54 percent thought Gap Inc. made a mistake when it decided to dump its old logo in favor of a new…
Dollar Tree Buys Way Into Canada
Dollar Tree is the third largest dollar store chain in the U.S. behind Dollar General and Family Dollar, but it is about to become the first in the channel to operate…
