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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Kmart Puts Emphasis on Shoe Biz
The shoe department used to be something that Kmart outsourced. That changed when the chain decided to take over its own shoe business. Do you see it as a positive…
Food Guidelines May Be Crossing the Line
Based on a sample of 120 foods, experts at Oxford University have calculated that just seven percent of foodstuffs would be forbidden from claiming they were nutritious and 40 percent…
Toys ‘R’ Us Expanding Kids Convenience Concept
Toys “R” Us is looking to give shoppers a reason to visit its stores more frequently with the rollout of the “R” Market store-within-a-store concept that provides a wide range…
Colorado Bill Would Benefit Locked-Out Workers
In 1999, the state of Colorado passed legislation making it impossible for people locked-out of the workplace to collect unemployment benefits. Newly proposed legislation would overturn the 1999 law. Are…
Survey: Customer Reviews Score Highest with Online Shoppers
According to a survey from Avail Intelligence, internet shoppers in the U.K. rate personal recommendations and user reviews over price when it comes to making online purchases. With customer reviews…
New Products Trickle Out in ’09
The pace of new products hitting grocery stores in the first quarter of 2009 was roughly half the number for the same period last year, according to the Mintel Global…
A&F’s Prices Not Cool with Teens
In a RetailWire poll back in December, 45 percent of respondents said that Abercrombie & Fitch would negatively affect its brand equity if the retailer followed others and began heavily…
CSD: Can Packaging Boost Sales?
Increasingly, convenience store retailers are seeking to capture a greater share of takeout sales as well as respect the earth with reliable, environmentally friendly packaging that won’t drive up the…
Swine Flu to Hit Retail
There’s little doubt that the outbreak of swine flu is going to have an effect on retailing in the U.S. Just how big an effect is anyone’s guess. What are…
Beer Brands That Should be Retired
According to consumers polled from YouGovPolimetrix, the reputation of four beer brands with considerable history are so bad that the breweries should consider retiring them. What criteria should guide when…
Targeting Mr. Mom
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the recession is putting more men out of work than women. That has led to an increase of stay-at-home dads who are increasingly…
Compete Blog: Americans and CPGs Embrace the Kitchen
As wallets get tighter and tighter, people are increasingly making their own meals instead of making restaurant reservations, and turning to the internet for cooking help. How are CPG food…
Beware the Blogger – Not!
A report on the eMarketer website says that retailers needn’t spend so much time worrying about how bloggers are going to discredit their brands. As research points out, more bloggers…
Tesco to Seek Advantage with Next Gen Loyalty Card
Tesco plans to launch the next generation of its Tesco Clubcard, making greater use of shopper behavior data and perhaps testing a contactless radio frequency identification system with cell phones…
RSR Study: Cultural Challenges Outpace Technology for Retail Workforce Management Implementations
According to a new RSR Research report, retailers recognize that workforce automation requires much more focus on change management than typical retail technology implementations. But the report finds that such…
Report Says Digital Billboards Don’t Cause Accidents
Most believe that digital billboards work and that’s what worries government officials who have nightmares about multi-car pileups being caused by drivers taking their eyes off the road to take…
Penney Sees IT as a Competitive Advantage
J.C. Penney isn’t looking to open new stores. Instead, the company is looking to remodel existing locations. But, when it comes down to separating itself from the competition, the company…
CPGmatters: Hormel Foods Aims to Simplify Center Store Shopping
Last month, Hormel Foods Corporation and Cannondale Associates released the results of a study finding that, rather than having convenience items scattered throughout the store, shoppers would prefer a dedicated…
Retailers: Credit Card Action Should Include Interchange Fees
The Obama Administration has signaled its support for two bills circulating in the House and the Senate that would place curbs on fees and other practices by credit card companies…
Blockbuster Branches Out With Kiosks
NCR Corporation’s acquisition of TNR Holdings, the second largest operator of video rental kiosks in the U.S. behind Redbox, may enable Blockbuster Entertainment to expand its kiosk program. What are…
Parent Blogs Facing Disclosure Issues
The Federal Trade Commission is considering imposing new rules for parent-bloggers, concerned that the manufacturer-blogger relationships may not be transparent enough for endorsements in which the blogger receives payment or…
