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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Is Social Media Equivalent to the Industrial Revolution?
A YouTube video making its way around business and academic circles entitled “Welcome to the Revolution” starts off by asking whether social media is simply a fad or the “biggest…
Frozen & Dairy Buyer: Trader Joe’s – Cherry Pickers of ‘Quality’
Warren Thayer recently asked Phil Lempert, editor of SupermarketGuru.com, for some data on Trader Joe’s shoppers, about what percent of shopping they do there, how often they visit…. What can…
Company Offers Really Green Christmas Trees
A company in Los Angeles sells really green Christmas trees and offers amazing service: it delivers trees to the homes of customers and then picks them up once the holiday…
Nordstrom Going Global
Nordstrom, known for fashion selections and customer service that are among the best in U.S. retailing, is looking to bring those things that make it special to American consumers to…
Is Anyone Coming to Dinner?
There is a whole other opportunity for retailers to promote ingredients and recipes – the fine art of entertaining. Sadly for some, albeit gladly for others, eating at home with…
Independent Grocer Says Time to Kill Off Death Tax
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) along with other business organizations are continuing their call for repeal of the estate tax known in some quarters as the death tax. Where do…
Wal-Mart Rollbacks: Real or Not Really?
The holiday season is coming up and Wal-Mart is dropping prices on key items, churning out press releases in recent weeks to announce the latest rollback designed to help consumers…
Nail the Sale, Chapter One: A Shopping Trip of Reverse Proportions
With one exception, the duration-to-spend ratios for BrainTrust panelist Carol Spieckerman’s excursions to Best Buy have always been disproportionately weighted toward emptying her wallet. Last weekend, that got turned around…
Family Dollar: Same as Grocery Store, Just Cheaper
Family Dollar Stores has benefited from tough economic times. Now it is looking to expand on those gains with a new ad campaign that tells customers that the items they…
Eating Your Way to Beauty
The latest report from Mintel Beauty Innovation declares that more people are attempting to improve their appearance through the food and drink they consume. What’s driving the surge in food…
BrainTrust Query: How will CIT’s Bankruptcy affect retailing?
CIT Group filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday after spending the better part of 2009 trying to avoid just that. The filing was “prepackaged” in that CIT’s creditors have already…
Second Generation Hispanics Change Marketing Rules
The Hispanic population continues to grow at a rate much faster than the rest of the U.S. population and their numbers are having a profound effect on many aspects of…
Analysts: Tesco Should Buy Ahold for U.S. Biz
Analysts Peter Brockwell and John David Roeg of ING believe Royal Ahold can be bought on the cheap, according to a Bloomberg report. Tesco, they suggest, is the logical choice…
RSR Research: How Retailers Are Investing in Online Technologies
According to a recent RSR study on eCommerce, practicality and feasibility permeate retail respondents’ thinking around investing in new online technologies. What do you think should be the key focus…
Brands Battle Online Badvocates
“Badvocates,” or critics who regularly trash corporate reputations, represent 20 percent of the world’s adult population online and each one reaches an estimated 14 people with their opinions, according to…
Private Sales Websites a Luxury Bright Spot
One of the few things working in luxury retailing appears to be invitation-only private sales websites such as Gilt.com, RueLaLa.com and Billiondollarbabes.com. Last week, Saks Fifth Avenue launched its own…
GreenSCM: Will Wal-Mart Green Product Labeling Create the New Scarlet Letter?
Recently, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and other retailers have started to have some of the products on their shelves marked as being “Green.” The company also has announced plans for a…
Retailers to Reign In Holiday Discounts
While many retailers are looking to get out front and project a price image for the holiday, that does not mean they are getting ready to give away the store…
Save Money. Die Better.
Wal-Mart Stores has gone into the business of selling funeral caskets and urns online. What will Walmart.com’s sale of caskets and urns mean for the funeral home business? Are consumers…
Halloween Stores Become a Pop-Up Phenomenon
Capitalizing on the rash of shuttered storefronts across retail, Halloween-themed stores are finding more visible and larger locations this year. And with more popping up across the country, they appear…
Simple Sells
Marketers are finding that fewer additives, ingredients and parts are attractive qualities as consumers yearn for simple in these complex and occasionally chaotic times. What do you think is behind…
