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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Personal Selling a Lost Retail Art
At last week’s IIR Shopper Insights conference, Herb Sorensen, Global Scientific Director of TNS Sorensen and RetailWire BrainTrust panelist, posited that personal selling at retail is nearly a lost art…
Retail Customer Experience: Self-checkout and alcohol – a dangerous mix?
There is growing concern that some shoppers may take advantage of self-checkout machines to illegally purchase alcohol. Are there serious challenges to self-checkout systems involving the sale of alcohol and…
Wal-Mart Wants More Ad Dollars
Wal-Mart Stores’ attitude concerning the marketing dollars it should get from manufacturers is pretty straightforward. If a supplier generates X, the retailer wants that same percentage of the vendor’s ad…
New Food Safety Guidelines Concern Organic Farmers
A series of new food safety rules are expected to add incremental costs to all food producers. Ironically, among those most disturbed by the new guidelines are organic farmers. Do…
How to Win Customers and Influence Browsers
More than simple shopfronts, these two sites have devised ways to entice customers to feel good about spending their money. What is your reaction to the different formats used by…
JTPP: The Real Issue Behind Promotion Optimization
AMR Research’s studies suggest there are fewer than 10 retailers engaged in any form of promotion optimization. Why aren’t promotion optimization tools being utilized by retailers?
Name That Starbucks
According to a report by The Seattle Times, the coffee giant is opening three stores in the Seattle area with nary a mention of Starbucks in the store or on…
BJ’s Looks to Club Supermarket Competitors
As the number three warehouse club chain, BJ’s Wholesale Club is facing an uphill battle against Sam’s Club and Costco, its two larger rivals. The same cannot be said of…
Founders: Smith & Hawken Opportunity Squandered
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. announced last week that it would close its remaining 56 Smith & Hawken stores by the end of 2009. But both founders expressed relief because the chain…
Wal-Mart Taking Lead on Eco-Labels
Wal-Mart Stores has unveiled a new environmental labeling program that would require suppliers to calculate the full costs associated with the manufacture of products. What is your take on Wal-Mart’s…
Will CIT Take Retail With It?
The CIT Group, which received $2.33 billion under the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program last December, is still struggling and it appears, based on reports, that the government will take…
BrainTrust Query: Asda Takes the ‘Pulse of the Nation’
In an interesting experiment, Asda is turning over some of the buying decisions to its customers by starting to e-mail a group of 18,000 customers, which it has termed its…
Ukrop’s on the Block
Ukrop’s is one of the regional grocery chains in the U.S. that operate stores other retailers want to see but if reports are correct, see it quickly because Ukrop’s is…
Calculating the ‘Wow’ Shopping Experience
A new Wharton survey found that 35 percent of shoppers have had a “Wow” experience recently. But it also revealed that as many as 10 different elements have to occur…
RSR Research: Is it Time to Tax Internet Sales?
On Sunday June 7, the San Francisco Chronicle published an editorial to say that it’s high time to tax retail sales on the internet. Last week, the following news item…
Amazon Rumored Suitor for Netflix
There’s a rumor out there that Amazon is looking to buy Netflix. Do you see a fit between Amazon and Netflix? Would the tax issue be enough to dissuade Amazon…
NRF and Wal-Mart Stores at Odds Over Healthcare Reform
The latest dustup in healthcare reform debate within the retailing industry has Walmart and organized labor on one side (no joke) and the National Retail Federation on the other. Is…
BrainTrust Query: Zombie Stores and Zombie Departments
There’s been quite a bit written about retailers reducing inventories to better align sales in the wake of the business downturn. But the impact these reductions have actually had on…
The Co-Branded Opportunity
Co-branding programs have proven to be a valuable tool to help brands build equity while creating new products, but they’re not without risks. What do you think are the pros…
Safety as Well as Environment Causing Concerns Over Bottled Water
Debate and doubts about bottled water have been growing for some time but in two far-flung areas, official actions are under consideration. Would more information about source and treatment influence…
BrainTrust Query: Are we ready to cure performance anxiety?
Sure, you can plan alright, but how well can you implement? This question keeps truly conscious merchants and consumer product marketers awake nights….. Can retailers truly perform against intricate plans…
