RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Staffing Levels Playing Into Retail Crime
Results of a new survey by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) show that criminal activity at retail continues to grow. Roughly one-third of retailers in the RILA study report…
Retail Customer Experience: Retailers, take back your shelves
Over the past generation, stores lost their individuality, becoming homogenous and undifferentiated. A major factor in this lack of personality came when stores began selling space for advertising. To what…
Consumers Go (Warehouse) Clubbing
Wall Street may have had problems with earnings per share coming in lower than predicted for Costco and BJ’s yesterday, but the numbers suggest those two chains along with Sam’s…
Starting the Day the Homemade Way
For those perennially rushing from pillar to post, fast food restaurants have proved obliging. But examples of recent declines at Burger King, McDonald’s, 7-Eleven and Wendy were cited as evidence…
The Fix Isn’t In at Toyota
Are things going from bad to worse at Toyota? Not only has the automaker’s reputation taken a hit with a massive recall but now at least 15 consumers who thought…
Painkillers Linked to Hearing Loss in Men
A new study published in the American Journal of Medicine suggests there may be a link between regular use of popular over-the-counter painkillers and an increased risk of hearing loss…
Macy’s Cans Gift Wrapping Department
If you’re looking to buy a gift in Seattle and have it wrapped, Macy’s may no longer be your store of choice. The chain has confirmed it is doing away…
CPGmatters: FSIs Poised for Growth After ‘Historic’ 2009
Freestanding inserts (FSIs) – always a significant force in couponing – have surged in recent times. In fact, FSIs have seen the most activity in a decade, according to the…
Fair Trade the eBay Way
WorldofGood.com, a website that markets products created by artisans from developing nations, sold its retail brand and related assets to eBay last week after a two-year collaboration between the two…
RILA Survey: High Priority Placed on Protecting Consumer Data
A new report released by the Retail Industry Leaders Association in partnership with Retail Systems Research finds merchants viewing data protection as a means to build their brand and business…
TPMA Outlook: Do Shoppers Plan Their Impulse Buys?
Do shoppers plan their impulse buys? Maybe not, but they do in many cases budget for them, according to a new research study that will be published in the Journal…
Supermarkets on Tap
Both Wegmans and Whole Foods have recently opened pubs inside stores in Pennsylvania, serving beer, wine and drinks. What do you think of the idea of pubs in supermarkets? Does…
TJX Sees Future in Cheapskates
TJX Cos. believes it can nearly double its size primarily by expanding its core T.J. Maxx and Marshalls concepts. The prediction came last week after the off-pricer reported a fourth-quarter…
RSR Research: Retail Connections – Predictive Analytics in a Down Economy
At an analytics roundtable at RetailConnections’ Third Annual Business Executive Summit, the CIO of a major jewelry retailer said predictive analytics had been completely helpful to his company. In many…
Old Navy Sailing Along
Gap Inc.’s fourth quarter numbers look pretty good and that, in large part, is due to the increased contribution the company is getting from its Old Navy apparel chain. What…
CSD: What Do Your Restrooms Say About You?
In the c-store industry, a clean restroom can literally be the difference between a customer making a purchase or heading to the nearest restaurant. But a restroom is often a…
Learning the Lesson of Gender
Spanish philosopher and novelist, George Santayana, famously said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” One lesson many big businesses have failed to learn is how…
Fresh & Easy Sets Up Shop in Food Desert
By pretty much all accounts, Fresh & Easy has not had an easy time of it since the Tesco-owned chain opened in the U.S. But, a new store opening may…
Consumers Go for Bad Idea and Buy Food in Tire Stores
In a RetailWire poll back in October 2008, respondents were asked, “How difficult is it for a retailer not in the food business to succeed at selling groceries?” It appears…
Retail TouchPoints: Mystery Shopper Study Shows E-tailers Sacrifice Service For Cost Containment, Efficiencies
Online retailers still felt the pinch of the recent recession during the most recent holiday season and many chose cost containment over improvements in customer service in Q4 2009, according…
Whole Foods Selling Gift Baskets Online in U.K.
Whole Foods has no e-commerce function to speak of in the U.S., but the natural foods grocer is making gift hampers (baskets in American) available for purchase online in the…
