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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Obama Family Good for Retail
It may turn out that Mr. Obama’s administration will not need to do anything special to help retail since he and his family have managed to drive the sales of…
Used as Good or Better Than New for Retailers
There’s always been a market for used products. One retailer, GameStop, has found that it can sell both new and used items and generate greater sales and profits as a…
‘Natural’ Claims Made for More Products Than Anything Else
It sounds so right, and simple. Most of us try. Doing what comes naturally, that is. A review from the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), quoted on just-food.com, showed…
Gen Y Makes Its Own Rules When It Comes to Food
Gen Y consumers grew up with more choices when it came to places to buy food, types of cuisine and access to technology. Today, those consumers, now between the ages…
Consumers Stick with Brands They Know/Trust
There has been a lot written about consumers trading down to private label and value-priced brands during the current period of economic tumult, but a new study also points to…
Retail TouchPoints: New Reports Show Mobile Shopping Nearing Big Impact On Store Experience
A new study from Foresee Results shows a 91 percent penetration rate for mobile phone ownership, but only about a third of respondents have used them while shopping. Yet Foresee…
Specialty Food Brands Find Space Scarce
David Wenner, president and chief executive of B&G Foods Inc, said that retailers’ focus on private label is hurting specialty products such as his company’s Ortega and Cream of Wheat…
Sears to Test New Online/Drive-Through Concept
It’s becoming increasingly common today for retailers to offer store pick-up as an option for consumers ordering product online. Sears Holdings is looking to take it one step further with…
Marketers Celebrate African-Americans
The election of the first African-American president apparently has significantly bolstered advertising around Black History Month. At retail, many stores continue to hold reverential programs around the celebratory month and…
Trader Joe’s Vs. Trader John’s
Gristedes recently revamped its 14th St. location in Manhattan with a new format, sign and name – Trader John’s. Trader Joe’s, whose wildly-popular first store in New York City is…
RSR Research: 2009 – The Year of the Existing Customer
With uncertainty still reigning supreme and words like “frugality” and “austerity” coming into vogue, this year will be more about keeping customers you already have – certainly making sure that…
Circuit City Runs Out of Fuses
Bankrupt Circuit City Stores Inc., unable to find a buyer, said Friday it will go out of business, closing its 567 U.S. stores and laying off its 34,000 workers. About…
Hispanics Go Online, Marketers Follow
Brandweek reports that a growing percentage of advertising dollars targeted toward Hispanic consumers are moving online as more of these shoppers spend time surfing the internet. What do you take…
CEO Says Winn-Dixie Making Progress
Winn-Dixie chairman, president and chief executive officer Peter Lynch said his company is remodeling locations and making progress by targeting its offerings to a wide range of consumer types including…
SCDigest: Will Current Economic Turmoil Scale Back Globalization?
Amid the financial crisis and global economic slow down, some observers are betting that the powerful rush towards globalization will slow dramatically and perhaps even reverse itself. Do you expect…
NRF: Around the Fringes
With a focus on technology vendors, Bill Bittner’s tour around the outskirts of the NRF show floor this year produced some interesting findings. His basic goal was to walk the…
NRF: Must-Do’s for Guarding Against Security Breaches
At NRF this week, vendors talked about the increased pressure to provide proof of ROI for tech products in such a tough economic climate. When it comes to retail security…
NRF: Leadership in Tough Times
Instill confidence. Set a plan. Remain flexible. Openly communicate with employees. Stick to your roots. Have fun. Those were some of strategies for how executives should manage in tough times…
PL Buyer: Fresh Approach
Ideas for new private label products at The Fresh Market come from several key areas, including internal and external data analyses to identify opportunities, customer requests, store manager feedback and…
NRF: ARTS Hits Its Stride
At this week’s NRF Conference, ARTS announced the latest release of its data model, a new ARTS data dictionary, and a new release of the ARTS SOA Blueprint. They also…
NRF: The Sky Has Fallen
In a session entitled “The Sky Has Fallen: Now What?” held Tuesday at the NRF convention, J.C. Penney CEO Myron “Mike” Ullman III, along with two financial experts, offered a…
