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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
States Losing $7 Billion in Taxes to Online Merchants
States are likely to push measures that require online merchants to collect sales tax on transactions conducted with customers located within their borders as more face budget shortfalls…. Should online…
BrainTrust Query: Start a Customer Service War
Walmart, Target, and Amazon.com have spent the last few weeks locked in an ever-escalating price war. Forget price wars: BrainTrust panelist Doug Fleener wants to see a customer service war…
Gap, Wal-Mart Staying Open on Thanksgiving
Many retailers are looking to get a jump on holiday sales by getting started before Black Friday. A number of chains, including Gap Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores, are also planning…
Costco Stops Selling Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is the largest soft drink manufacturer in the world. Costco is the largest warehouse club operator in the U.S. As of now, the two companies are not doing business…
Apple Focusing on ‘Showcase’ Stores
Apple last week announced plans to open 40 to 50 new retail locations in 2010 with a focus on larger, flashy flagships in major cities as part of a new…
Retail Technology for Recessionary Times
Supermarket News recently highlighted five “must-have” technology tools for grocers to manage the downturn. Of the mentioned technologies, which should grocers most focus on to best manage the downturn?
Stand By For Demo
In-store videos from Rouxbe, the online cooking school, will show shoppers some of the basics they need to cook assorted dishes. Then, anyone who likes what they see can sign…
PL Buyer: Private Label Merchandising Support Back In the Spotlight
One positive outcome of the recession: renewed emphasis on private label merchandising that drives home the all-important value message. Why is in-store merchandising support around private label products lower on…
Time Right to Dial Back Discounts
A case is being made that brands need to rethink pricing strategies and begin the process of cutting down on discounts in order to return to more profitable sales. Do…
CEO: ‘My Macy’s’ Working
Terry Lundgren, chief executive officer at Macy’s Inc., is happy with the department store chain’s 20-area test of its “My Macy’s” customer micro-marketing program. What is your evaluation of the…
Why You’re Still Getting So Many Catalogs
Folks in the catalog business will say that they keep mailing because catalogs work. According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, 17 billion catalogs were mailed last…
Fitness Equipment Health Opportunity for Best Buy
Best Buy has been branching out a lot lately and now it’s looking to pump up its volume with the sale of fitness equipment in stores and on its website…
Expired Products Cost Retailers Big
Recent settlements involving CVS, Rite Aid and Target with New Jersey and New York raise the question: are expired products on store shelves a manageable issue for retailers or a…
BrainTrust Query: Passion Blurs Personal vs. Professional
Joel Warady gave a talk the other day at Northwestern University and, during the Q & A, someone asked him how one separates their personal life from their professional life…
Out-of-Stocks Could Humbug the Holidays
In the past, manufacturers have often taken the public relations hit for not producing enough toys to keep up with demand. This year, however, consumers may be pointing their fingers…
Home Depot Puts Parking Spaces Up for Sale
Go to the average very large Home Depot parking lot and you’ll see lots of spaces not filled with automobiles. The company has noticed these vacant spaces as well, and…
CPGmatters: Pressure Mounts to Leverage ’09 Surge in Distribution
One bright side to the nation’s economic turmoil is the increased attention on couponing as a promotional vehicle for CPG brands, and the attendant greater efforts to distribute these offers…
Haute Couture, No Postage Necessary
A New York Times piece equates it with Netflix. Rent the Runway is a new service that allows women to rent $1,000 haute couture dresses for a fraction of the…
The Best Independent Retailers: Surviving and Thriving
At the recent IIR Fusion Conference, Robert Spector, the author of “The Mom & Pop Store: How the Unsung Heroes of the American Economy are Surviving and Thriving” talked about…
Retail Customer Experience: Barnes & Noble Nook Raises Questions About Digital-Only Products
With the recent launch of Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader device, consumers have yet another way to purchase products that are completely digital — no tangible product to take home…
Retail Therapy Doesn’t Always Work for Larger Women
According to a study from Australia, while thinner women regard shopping for clothes as a pleasurable experience, many obese or even slightly overweight women often find it a cheerless one…
