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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Employee Training Starts With the Basics
One of the UK’s top four supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s, announced recently that it will work with an external awarding body to help employees achieve qualifications in a range of industry-relevant…
CPGmatters: Kellogg Enhances Package Designs Using Virtual Shopping Platform
Kellogg Company is enhancing the packaging of its breakfast cereals by leveraging the consumer insights gathered through virtual shopping. What do you think of using virtual shopping programs around packaging…
Wal-Mart Gets a New Leader
In a surprise announcement, H. Lee Scott Jr., Wal-Mart’s CEO, said on Friday that he is retiring, and Mike Duke, who heads up the company’s growing international business, will take…
Does Price or Convenience Rule Online?
A piece in The New York Times reported online retailers are cutting prices as low as they can go to try and make something out of the holiday season. Then…
7-Eleven Gets Gamey
Forget everything you’ve heard about the changing convenience store and how the channel is moving to bring in more upscale consumers, particularly those of the female variety. Nope, the business…
BrainTrust Query: OK, it’s official – deflation is a real threat. What now?
The consumer price index had its largest decline since World War II in October. Regulators are pondering whether they need to step in to prevent a long period of price…
P&G and Google Swap Workers
Employees at Procter & Gamble and Google are learning what it’s like to walk in each other’s shoes as part of a temporary staff swap the companies initiated to spur…
Stew Leonard’s: The Disneyland of Supermarkets
Stew Leonard’s was named “Retailer of the Year” by the Connecticut Retail Merchants Association. The store’s fame comes from its innovative in-store marketing. To what do you attribute the success…
New Products Fail to Make Impression
Maybe it should have been called the “Most Forgettable New Product Launch Survey” instead of the “Most Memorable”? According to new research, 69 percent of consumers surveyed could not name…
Penney CEO Calls for Consumer Stimulus Package
J.C. Penney CEO Mike Ullman has seen his chain struggle as the economic situation in the U.S. has deteriorated over the course of the year. Last week, Mr. Ullman told…
Retailers Told to Keep Marketing Green
Jonathan Dodd, evp/director of strategy at G2, a global marketing services agency, thinks eco-friendly business practices will survive the recession and retailers that continue to promote their greenness will benefit…
SCDigest: Is There Anything More Pathetic Than the GM Situation? And That’s a Shame
The death spiral of GM, Chrysler, and to a somewhat lesser extent Ford, is certainly sad to watch. All three were losing big dough even in the relatively good…
Good Times for BJ’s Wholesale Club
BJ’s is number three in the warehouse club race but the chain is finding some momentum in today’s tough economy because of changes it has made in recent years to…
Report: Macy’s Considers Cutting Regional Divisions
According to a report in Women’s Wear Daily, Macy’s is considering further downsizing from four to two divisions. WWD said the consolidation would “affect hundreds of employees, save the corporation…
Cashiers Put On Timer
Retail store operators are looking to cut costs wherever they can and some have found savings at the front-end by using an automated tracking system that times how long it…
Spot the Difference or Not
In an effort to maintain margins and avoid increasing prices, manufacturers are conjuring up ways to change packaging so that consumers don’t notice reduced content. What do you think about…
Yelpers Spread the Word
If online customer reviews become integral for brands and retailers, a future model may resemble Yelp.com. It appeals because it works more as a social network for foodies than purely…
Retail TouchPoints: New Promotional Trends Emerge as Retailers Launch Early Holiday Sales Offers
With the holidays, as expected, arriving earlier at retail, Retail TouchPoints staff has been tracking the new holiday promotions both online and offline and have highlighted the following top five…
Retailers Looking at Record Number of Returns
Buyer remorse, wardrobing, criminal activity and a number of other factors will result in consumers returning a record $219 billion in merchandise this year, according to a new survey released…
Sears Follows Kmart’s Lead on Layaways
There hasn’t been a lot that has gone right at Kmart in recent years, but its decision to continue offering layaway appears to have been the right decision in light…
New Developments Seek Customers
Most everyone connected with retail is familiar with the mantra, “location, location, location.” Equally, they will know that stores cannot open overnight. Sometimes, as with Westfield, which opened in London…
