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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Luxury Retailers Offer Outlets for Bargain Hunters
With the economy in a state of extreme uncertainty, even the well heeled are cutting back, leaving upscale merchants looking for ways to remain competitive until business picks up again…
Vendors Gain Access to CVS Execs Through Charity Work
CVS has a strict policy on proper conduct with trading partners. Now, a Wall Street Journal report brings into question whether some retailers have been able to buy their way…
RSR Research: Rewiring Retail – The Cross-Channel Consortium
At the inaugural meeting of the Cross-Channel Consortium, a highly engaging discussion came to the conclusion that moving to a cross-channel strategy means fundamentally “rewiring retail.” What are some…
CPG Brands and Retailers Focus on Shopper Marketing
A new study conducted by Deloitte for the Grocery Manufacturers Association finds that consumer packaged goods companies and retailers are rapidly ramping up shopper marketing efforts even as many acknowledge…
CSD: Failure To Clean Keeps Customers Away
Customers at convenience stores and restaurants are far less likely to return if they find restrooms that are unhygienic or poorly stocked with supplies, according to a recently completed national…
Target Card Holders Having Trouble Making Payments
Target reported on Monday that a growing number of its cardholders are failing to pay their debt while many that continue to make payments are sending in lower amounts, according…
Pet Food Brand Sues Supplier Over Tainted Vitamins
The pet products company Hartz Mountain Corp. is suing a supplier after it was forced to recall thousands of tainted pet vitamins over the past year. Will Hartz Mountain’s suit…
GMA CEO: New Collaboration Model Needed
Manly Mopus, interim president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, told attendees at the Merchandising, Sales and Marketing Conference and the Joint Industry Unsaleables Management Conference, “The time is…
Macy’s CEO Offers Reading List
Terry Lundgren, chief executive officer of Macy’s Inc., provided The Wall Street Journal with five books that have shaped his leadership style. While the first four were fairly well known…
Cooking Lessons to Teach Kids the Basics
More than a decade after switching emphasis from cooking to food technology, British schoolchildren are going to be given compulsory cooking lessons. A free recipe book for every 11 year…
Retail TouchPoints: Circuit City Grabs an EDGE by Incorporating Multi-Channel Intelligence into Tablet PCs
One of the key differentiators for ‘The City,’ Circuit City’s new interactive format, will be the Enhanced Digital Guide Experience (EDGE), a handheld selling tool designed by the retailer and…
Retailers Assess U.S. Banking Crisis
Although inventories and expenses have already been slashed in response to the slowing economy, the current Wall Street crisis is apparently causing many retailers to re-examine their pricing, promotions and…
Study Debunks Multitasking Perception
The belief that we live in a society comprised of individuals who consume various types of media simultaneously is not quite as true as often believed, according to MRI’s 2008…
Walgreens’ DC Deploys RFID Without a Safety Net
Walgreens has fully integrated radio frequency identification (RFID) technology into its warehouse operations at the company’s distribution facility in Anderson, S.C., according to RFID Update. Walgreens has been running the…
Stores Popping Up on Campus
College students have long been a target for marketers looking to build brand loyalty. But only in the past few years have brands set up pop-up stores on campuses. How…
Airport Retailing Takes Off
After the internet, the fastest growing channel at retail is the often-maligned airport terminal. The growth is being driven by a number of new airport terminals opening in major foreign…
Consumers Don’t Know Why Prices Are Rising
Consumers reading newspapers or listening to radio and television broadcasts are probably aware that much of the world has experienced unusual weather conditions this year. They may or may not…
Christmas Arrives at Retail
It’s still summer on the calendar, but Macy’s, Target and most other major retailers have already stocked their shelves with tree ornaments, lights and other Christmas decorations. With weak holiday…
Transforming Retail with Portable Shopping Devices
Research from Frost & Sullivan concludes that portable shopping devices, including those mounted on carts, may be on the verge of transforming retailing on a global scale. What is the…
The Dentist is In at Sainsbury
Medical clinics are popping up in stores, while vision centers have been in operation at clubs and other stores for years. So, perhaps it’s not a huge surprise that a…
GHQ: Raising the Bar
John Wilkerson, who is now a management consultant, learned a valuable lesson about hiring strategies when he worked for a St. Louis company back in the 1990s. Management would only…
