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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Gift Givers Influenced by Social Media
The numbers are far from a majority, but new research from comScore Inc. shows 28 percent of consumers have had their holiday season purchases influenced by social media sites such…
PL Buyer: A Little ‘Co-Opetition,’ Please
During the past couple of years, many retailers have invested serious time and money in private label product enhancements and innovation. The national brands, meanwhile, have been losing more and…
Publishers’ Joint Venture to Compete with Kindle
A group of magazine and newspaper publishers announced a joint venture to create open standards for new electronic devices that display publications to create a superior experience to existing e-readers,…
No Stores Planned by Amazon, But Should There Be?
First London’s Sunday Times reported that Amazon.com was looking at locations around England to establish stores. Shortly thereafter, an Amazon spokesperson said the company has “no plans to open physical…
Retail TouchPoints: Taking Mobile Marketing Beyond Coupons
In the past 20 years, few technology-driven changes have been more pervasive than the mobile phone, and today marketers are scrambling to find ways to utilize these devices. Which apps…
Fresh & Easy [Reported] to Import Loyalty Program to U.S.
Tesco’s Clubcard is widely viewed as one of the most productive shopper loyalty programs in retailing. The Financial Times reported that the company intends to bring it to the U.S.,…
Sunday Inserts and Supplements are Dead! Long Live Sunday Inserts and Supplements!
All of us “industry insiders” know that newspapers are going out of business, paper coupons are history, and shopper promotions are going online, mobile, or in-store. Well, not so fast…
CPGmatters: Integrated Customer Marketing Paying Off for ConAgra Foods
Over the past five years, the sales and marketing function at ConAgra Foods has been entirely reorganized from 100 separate operating companies into an integrated organization. What are the benefits…
Favorite Fast Foods From Your Own Kitchen
Todd Wilbur has specialized in cloning recipes since the 1980s and claims to be the first to crack some of the big secrets of our time. Will consumers be enticed…
Christian Groups Looking for ‘Christmas’
At least two Christian organizations are outing retailers for using generic messages like “Season’s Greetings,” “Happy Holidays,” and “Winter Holiday” instead of “Christmas” in their holiday messages. What are your…
BrainTrust Query: Where Are the Merchants?
Retailing has always had its tough periods but nothing as extended or as broadly based as the current period. With most of the focus on strategies…the one thing that is…
Shoppers Choosing Cash Over Credit
There’s a view held by many that the effects of the recession will last for many years into the economic recovery. The rationale goes that recent tough times have sobered…
Pharmacists an Underused Health Resource
For consumers taking a variety of prescription medications, OTC remedies, and supplements, pharmacist counseling can be critical. Still, it’s no secret that patients often choose not to take advantage of…
Braintrust Query: Are Mystery Shops ‘Constructively Negative’?
A study published in the November Journal of Marketing attempts to answer two important questions applicable to mystery shopping programs…. What can be done to reduce the bias of mystery…
Wal-Mart Not Playing Around with Video Game Price Rollback
Independent and chain video game retailers in the U.S. are finding out what merchants in other categories already know–what happens when Wal-Mart comes after consumers in your market. What will…
Tesco Tests Dedicated Sites for Online Grocery Orders
Tesco announced plans to open a second Dot Com Only Store (DCOS), a dedicated location for fulfilling online grocery orders, so that it can free up space at busy store…
Braintrust Query: Are Marketers Mortgaging Their Brands’ Future?
In the early 1980s, $50 billion or more was shifted by U.S. marketers from advertising to trade promotion. The reason: weekly store scanner data made it obvious that trade dealing…
Toy Profiteers Take to eBay
This year, once again, popular toys for the holidays are being bought up by the opportunistic for resale to shoppers willing to pay more. Does there need to be a…
Penney Takes Fast Fashion a Step Forward With Mango
The executive vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s apparel at JCPenney says the company’s deal to establish a store-within-the-store concept for Mango is nothing short of a game-changer…
Retail Customer Experience: Training for Unit-Level Success for Holiday 2009
In many cases, retailers will not be able to provide seasonal salespeople with the same the amount of training as permanent team members. What are some key strategies in training…
Reduced Consumption Good for America
Barbara Kiviat, one of Time magazine’s Curious Capitalist correspondents, says American retailers aren’t doing the country any favors by engaging in aggressive discounting…. Do you see the country going into…
