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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
RFID Ready for Takeoff
The year 2008 will go down in history as the year that radio frequency identification (RFID) technology got a foothold and began its climb toward widespread use in retailing. That…
Retailers Want Minimum Pricing Restraints Removed
Many retailers would rather bring in fast nickels than wait on slow dimes. Manufacturers are content with retailers selling their products one slow dime at a time. It is that…
Shift to At-Once Orders Rattles Soft Goods Industry
While the shift toward at-once programs, or just-in-time inventory, has been going on for years in the apparel and footwear industry, it is clearly accelerating due to the tightened credit…
Working Toward a ‘Green’ Balance Sheet
A new report from A.T. Kearney and the World Resources Institute concludes that consumer goods companies that fail to take steps to become more eco-friendly will see annual profits reduced…
P&G Takes Stake in Online Grocer
Procter & Gamble has made a $7.5 million investment in Ocado, an online grocer operating in the U.K. What do you make of P&G’s investment in Ocado? What will it…
CSD: Avoiding ‘The Checkerboard Effect’
With disposable income shrinking, c-store operators are urged to have a clear, concise product offering. How do decisions around store layout and category management differ for c-stores compared to grocers,…
Digital Signage Creates In-Store Buzz and Rings
A recent piece on the Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) website pointed out that Walmart’s new Smart digital signage Network enables the retailer to tailor messages at the shelf to provide…
Small Stores to Encourage Fruit and Veg Consumption
British public health minister, Dawn Primarolo, has announced a pilot scheme designed to encourage more consumers to eat fruit and vegetables by funding corner shop promotions. What do you think…
SCDigest: Get Ready for the Real Value Chain
For almost 10 years there has been some debate – the term “supply chain” was too limited; “value chain” or “demand chain” were the most commonly suggested alternatives. Right now,…
Video Games Holding up Well in Recession
At a time when many categories are sputtering in the downturn, video game sales are surging and appear set for a robust 2009. Do you think video game sales are…
Teens Cheat and Steal to Get Ahead
Our kids cannot be trusted. That is the conclusion based on new research from the Josephson Institute, which shows that nearly two-thirds of students have cheated on a test in…
Credit Card Fees Equated to Subprime Mortgages
The interchange fees banks charge stores for credit card transactions allow them to issue cards to people who can’t pay off their debts. Do you agree with the connection being…
Black Friday Tragedy at Walmart
While many early morning, door-busting specials went off without a hitch on Black Friday, the death of a Walmart temp worker in Long Island as a result of a stampeding…
Sears.com to Customers: Please Try Back Later
In a case of what can go wrong, will go wrong, Sears found that its website went down for a couple of hours at the start of the holiday shopping…
Holiday Off to Encouraging Start
According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp. and the National Retail Federation, sales on Black Friday and over the weekend came in better than expected given the overall sorry state of the…
7-Eleven Expands Store Brand Presence
The 7-Eleven convenience store chain is adding a new line of 32 food items including candy, cookies, salty snacks and beef jerky under its 7-Select private label brand. Is the…
Relationship Building for Mothers and Babies
Activities, convenient locations and companions with shared interests are apparently much in demand for new mothers. So much in demand that a number of enterprising women in London have started…
Nielsen Offers List of Black Friday Don’t Do’s
Black Friday is important both in dollar terms and psychologically for those managing and working in retail, especially this year. The good folks at Nielsen have published a list of…
Retailers Selling Cyber Monday Deals
One thing that many retailers agree on is that Cyber Monday and all the online days that follow are going to be more important this year than in the past…
Zappos Gets High Marks for Approach to Layoffs
Known for its extensive vetting process when hiring people, Zappos is now earning praise for how it fires people. Beyond a generous severance package, the shoe e-tailer is being commended…
Impulsive Displays of Consumer Buying Behavior
Retailers may be engaged in markdown mania but research from OgilvyAction concludes that if they really want to move product they need to get it out on secondary displays. Do…
