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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Retailer Daily: Retailers See Digital Media Value Outside Store
Retailers are more inclined to see digital media as providing value in driving store traffic than in improving the in-store experience, according to a new study from RSR Research. Ultimately,…
Borders Alters Loyalty Program, Lowers E-Reader Prices
Borders is introducing a new rewards program and lowering prices on its e-book readers to gain some traction in its competition with Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others. What will…
‘Good is Not Enough’ for Cub Foods
Cub Foods is a household name in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, but its history has not prevented shoppers from seeking cheaper grocery alternatives. What are the primary challenges faced by…
Target and Wal-Mart Give Individual Attention to Customers
Target and Wal-Mart Stores may be the biggest mass merchandisers in the country, but both believe business results can be improved by tailoring what they do to individual shoppers. Do…
J. Crew to Put Outlet Savings Online
J. Crew Group plans to put its factory outlet sales online in September in a bid to make its deals more accessible for cash-strapped consumers. How do you weigh the…
Carrefour Looks to Reinvent the Hypermarket
Carrefour is testing a new hypermarket concept as Western Europeans buy groceries closer to home or head to department and specialty stores for apparel and beauty products. Do large-format superstores…
The Fine Art of Delicious Gift Giving
It isn’t just men whose hearts can be reached through their stomachs. Increasing numbers of food gifts are being purchased, according to a report, Food Gifting in the U.S., from…
BrainTrust Query: You Are Here … Like It or Not
A recent study by Forrester Research concluded that, while location-based services (LBS) are intriguing, they are still too small for major marketers to spend much time on. How aggressive should…
The Shopping Experience Gets a Tech-Up
Consumers don’t like shopping in stores as much as they once did and that’s a problem for retailers with most of their dollars invested in brick and mortar outlets. What…
Will a New Marketing Chief Take Sears in a Digital Direction?
Sears, similar to most brick and mortar retailers, has marketed primarily through traditional print and broadcast media. But, will all that change now that the company has hired a digital…
BrainTrust Query: Four Reminders About Effective Store Design
Organization of a store is crucial to building sales because the merchandise can only do so much with clever packaging. What are some of your pet peeves around store design…
Save-A-Lot Delivers to Bring In New Shoppers
Instead of taking more traditional approaches to a new store opening, a Save-A-Lot in Louisiana decided to go directly to potential customers in the area with bags of free groceries…
Mapping Apps to Go Indoors
Many consumers are using mobile devices and/or GPS devices to track down a particular restaurant or other landmark. Soon, consumers may be able to do pretty much the same inside…
Best Buy Theater Reaches Times Square
The Nokia Theater in Times Square will become the Best Buy Theater in mid-September. The theater will mark Best Buy’s first foray into naming rights for any entertainment site. What…
Schnucks Denies Market Exit
It’s no secret that there are some regional supermarket chains facing tough times. Schnuck Markets finds itself in the odd position of having to deny rumors that it is closing…
Costco Goes to the Mall for Growth
In the past, Costco has opened the occasional club in a mall. Now, however, the company is making a push to put its stores in shopping center spaces that typically…
CPGmatters: Transforming Trade Promotion
Optimization has been the key goal of trade promotion practice since 2000 as CPG manufacturers have worked to make their spending as efficient as possible. But while efficiency is a…
Students Go to School on Textbook Rentals
Paying for a college education is expensive enough, so why not look to cut costs wherever possible? That appears to be the motivation driving an increase in textbook rentals on…
CSD: Fresh from the Farm
What makes Swiss Farms truly unique is it has been a drive-through grocer since inception. Now, Swiss Farms Stores is expanding its business from 13 stores in the Pennsylvania market…
Nordstrom Links Bricks and Clicks
Nordstrom appears to have achieved the link across selling channels that most retailers aspire to, according to reports. The department store chain manages inventories at its store and its website…
Groupon’s First National Deal Blows Out
Groupon Inc.’s first nationwide deal — an offer from the Gap for $50 worth of merchandise at $25 — sold 445,000 vouchers for the retailer last Thursday, bringing in $11…
