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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Macy’s Holds Open Call for New Designers
At least somewhat established designers are being invited to introduce their work to Macy’s fashion directors, buyers and merchants at “Macy’s Open Call,” a program created to find resources in…
Retail TouchPoints: Is the Retail World Ready for Digital Receipts?
During the checkout process today, consumers often leave the store with a paper receipt longer than their arm. What are the pros and cons of digital versus paper receipts for…
Target Outlines Plans for Future Growth
Target has a multi-pronged approach for the future and the chain is hoping its strategic plan will help it achieve growth for the short-, medium- and long-term. Where do you…
Bloomie’s Getting Into Outlet Store Biz
Macy’s Inc. announced Bloomingdale’s is following Nordstrom and a host of other competitors into the outlet business with plans to open four stores in the summer or fall of this…
BrainTrust Query: Are we creating too many promotion channels?
BrainTrust panelist Bill Bittner visited the ARTS pavilion at the National Retail Federation Big Show this year to look at contenders in the personalized marketing arena…. Is there an industry-wide…
Group Says ‘Righteous Fur’ Deserves a Market
Fur is not really in fashion in the U.S. However, some are suggesting that designers and retailers need to be thinking of selling one variety of real fur because it…
Home Depot Invests $60 Million in Handheld Devices
Home Depot Inc. will hand over 10,000 portable devices to its store associates in 2010 to help them stock shelves, locate inventory, make telephone calls and check out customers throughout…
Platt Retail Institute: It’s Always About the Numbers
The reason digital signage has not flourished financially is because the justifications to implement these networks are not founded upon business fundamentals. Beyond sales lift, what’s the biggest area where…
Retailer Caters to the Recently Divorced
Lindsay Conway, director of social services in the Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland, finds it “very bizarre.” Debenhams in the U.K. sees it as a social service and an opportunity…
Stores Inside Stores Lead to Sales
All across the country, retailers are taking advantage of store-within-a-store concepts to attract shoppers and drive revenue for all the merchants involved, according to The Sacramento Bee. Are stores-within-the-store more…
CSD: Hiring Mistakes We’ve All Made
Ever hire an eagle, only to have the person turn out to be a turkey? The reasons apparent eagles turn out to be total turkeys can usually be attributed to…
Affluent Sick and Tired of Frugal Living
Luxury consumer brands and the retailers that sell them were among the hardest hit during the economic downturn. But, now that the economy is slowly picking up there are signs…
Getting Social Media into the eCommerce Loop
For most e-retailers, the combination of “social” and “commerce” is decidedly aspirational. Many retailers find it hard to manage the content, let alone find ways to quantify the commercial benefits…
PL Buyer: One of a Kind Private Label
Although a slew of national-brand-equivalent products remain on retailers’ shelves, today’s store brands are implementing a major reroute of their road to success…leading retailers into an exciting new territory…. What’s…
ESL: The (Seemingly Endless) Search for Retail Adoption
Once again this year, there are new companies introducing new electronic shelf label (ESL) systems that they hope will – once and for all – replace paper labels at the…
Walgreen Exploring the Sale of Prepared Meals and Fresh Foods
Walgreen Co. is planning to roll out fresh foods and prepared meals in all its stores. What do you think of Walgreens’ exploration of fresh foods and prepared meals? What…
SCDigest: Wal-Mart to Centralize Global Sourcing, Reduce Use of Middlemen
Wal-Mart in early January announced a sweeping plan to consolidate its global procurement functions and reduce the use of intermediaries in its global sourcing processes. What do you see as…
Walgreens Expects Healthy Results From Wellness Push
All is well at Walgreens with a new pilot program intended to make it a leading source of healthcare services in the communities it serves. Are retailers finding the right…
P&G to Launch Online ‘Learning Lab’
Procter & Gamble has built its business on consumer insights and the company is looking to gain even more with a new “eStore,” selling directly to consumers. Will the eStore…
CPGmatters: Retail Commission Aims to Enhance Shopper Marketing
The goal of a new industry-wide initiative called the Retail Commission on Shopper Marketing is to come up with a retailer-driven model that will make shopper marketing effective for manufacturers…
Farmers Set Up Markets in Malls
You might not expect to find them there, but farmers are increasingly setting up their stalls at markets located in malls. Do you expect that farmers markets will become a…
