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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Are Conditions Right for Layaway Comeback?
With all the talk recently about the possibility that the U.S. could be facing economic conditions not seen since the Great Depression, the question arises as to whether a retailing…
Rein Took Walgreens on Unfamiliar Path
Last week’s announcement that Jeffrey Rein had suddenly resigned as chairman and chief executive officer at Walgreens has led to speculation that the new path he had charted for the…
Luxury Retailers Missing the Bling
While there will always be rich people, their purchasing behavior is expected to change due to the global financial crisis. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, luxury…
Indiaretailing.com: Food Sector Wastage, a Key Concern
The food sector is in great need of technological advancement and modernization as there is huge wastage that happens in this sector. This was pointed out by India’s commerce and…
Digital Signage 2: This Year’s (Business) Model
Within the digital signage community there is a very real debate going on as to the nature of the beast. Many see the medium as bringing brand advertising to store…
Best Buy Creates Female-Friendly Store
With input from 40 local female customers, Best Buy Co. has opened a new store in a southeast Denver suburb that it hopes better caters to women without alienating men…
Digital Signage: Going Gets Exciting and Bumpy
There was optimism on the floor at Digital Signage Expo East in Philadelphia last month. The consensus was that 2008 had been a challenging year but there are clear…
Credit Crisis Could Impact Gift Cards
The financial crisis may affect the sale of gift cards this holiday season. The fear is that the possible bankruptcy of a retailer will significantly reduce the value of gift…
GHQ: Chief Strategist
Nearly a year after Price Chopper celebrated its 75th anniversary, Grocery Headquarters is pleased to name Neil Golub, president and chief executive officer of its parent, Golub Corp., as its…
Safeway Remains Focused on Lifestyle
There’s no doubt that the success achieved by Safeway in the past four years is connected to the development of the chain’s Lifestyle format. This year the company anticipates opening…
Anarchy in the Butter Dish
Johnny Rotten, the lead singer for the legendary punk brand, The Sex Pistols, is starring in a $9 million campaign on British television for Country Life butter. It’s the…
Rite Aid Goes Too Low for NYSE
Rite Aid has advised shareholders that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) may move to delist the company’s stock after a couple of weeks of it trading below $1 a…
Survey: Seasonal Hiring Expected to Drop
A survey of 1,000 U.S. managers who have responsibility for hiring seasonal workers found that each manager, on average, plans on hiring 3.7 seasonal employees this holiday season, roughly 33…
Drive-Thrus R.I.P.
Follow the logic: The vast majority of fast food restaurant patrons pick up their orders at drive-thrus. The time spent waiting in line with engines idling puts pollutants in the…
Store Cards Costing Customers More in Interest
At a time when more shoppers are trying to decide how to stretch their money, one seemingly obvious decision is reducing the amount paid each month on credit and store…
eBay to Bill You Later
It already has PayPal and now eBay is adding the Bill Me Later service to its online payment portfolio after acquiring the company for $820 million in cash and $125…
Grocery Wholesalers and Retailers Cutting Transportation Costs
A new report, Transportation Benchmarks 2008, from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) shows that grocery wholesalers and self-distributing retail chains are taking steps to reduce the amount of money they…
Anywhere Consumers
Yankee Group has identified a new breed of consumers that “prize connectivity at all times” to help tech and media brands better understand their buying habits. Given the many factors…
Forever 21 Looks to Get Much Bigger with Mervyns Bid
Four years after Forever 21 failed in an attempt to purchase Mervyns from Target, the discount apparel chain is now making another bid to acquire 150 of the department stores…
Meijer Sells Groceries By the Case Online
Meijer is looking to use it website to make life just a little bit easier and more affordable for its shoppers, and the company has rolled out a new online…
CPGmatters: Coca-Cola Rolling Out Global Shopper Segmentation Protocol
In an ambitious move notable for its wide scope and marketing implications, The Coca-Cola Company is rolling out a shopper segmentation protocol that can be applied around the world. What…
