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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Study: Boomer Shoppers to Become Pragmatic with Age
According to a survey conducted by FH Boom and the National Marketing Institute of 1,100 Baby Boomers, 86 percent plan to be more practical and pragmatic in their purchases when…
Bee Loss Threatens Crop Supply
Americans who give little thought to how food arrives on their tables may not understand just how important bees are to the nation’s food supply. They also probably aren’t aware…
CSD: Coffee’s Hotter Than Ever
Baristas, costly specialty brews and professional ad campaigns work for large chains that have the financial wherewithal to make aggressive market moves at the growing coffee market. But how can…
India’s Tata Buys Jaguar and Land Rover
Big cars, little cars, tea bags and steel girders now comprise the portfolio of Indian-owned conglomerate, Tata. By announcing its $2.3 billion purchase of British car brands Jaguar and Land…
CEO: Economy Won’t Slow CVS Down
Thomas Ryan, chief executive officer at CVS Caremark, didn’t say his company is recession proof but he doesn’t see the economy causing consumers to cut back significantly on the purchases…
Brands Shrink to Avoid Price Hikes
Companies faced with higher cost for raw materials often find that a decision needs to be made. Continue production as-is and lose money if the price for the item isn’t…
National Macy’s Tries Local Approach
After spending years closing down and changing over scores of regional banners to create the country’s first national department store chain, Macy’s Inc. is making a renewed push to reach…
Shopko Seeks Differentiated and Defensible Position
After years in pullback mode, the Shopko discount chain is once again opening new stores and seeking to stake out a position that will set it apart from a wide…
Measuring Online Ad Effectiveness
While click-through rates, viewer time and even a browser’s ZIP code can be measured, researchers are now seriously looking into how online ads measure up against television ads. The search…
CPGMatters: Coca-Cola Enhances DSD with Better Collaboration
The Coca-Cola Company aims to make the check-in process of direct store delivery (DSD) more efficient in 2008 as part of a broader goal of improving its supply chain activities…
Marks & Spencer Mulls Selling Other Brands
Everything sold in Marks & Spencer carries the brand name St Michael. So any introduction of name brands, especially for food, would be very radical. But that is precisely what…
Biometric Payments No Longer Offered at Supervalu
The bankruptcy of Solidus Networks, owner of the Pay By Touch biometric payment system, means that banners owned by Supervalu will no longer be offering the service to consumers. Solidus…
Disney Gets Back into Retail
Walt Disney Co. said last week it wants to return to running its Disney stores in North America. Re-owning the stores “can be an important extension of the ‘Disney’ brand”…
Retail Bankruptcies Could Be Worse Than 1991
While still healthy overall, mall centers are being roiled by massive store closings among a variety of formats. Unless the economy dramatically improves, retail bankruptcies this year could reach the…
‘Speak English’ Signs Can Stay in Philly Shop
Philadelphia’s Commission on Human Relations had made its decision. The owner of Geno’s Steaks doesn’t have to take down signs that read “This is America: WHEN ORDERING ‘PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.'”…
Costco’s “Diversion” Buying Strategy
Crocs Inc. earlier this month became the latest company to freak out upon finding its hot selling shoes on the floors of Costco. Their arrival is apparently part of a…
How Was Hannaford Hacked?
Those who may have initially assumed that the data breach that exposed the information of more than four million credit and debit card accounts of customers of Hannaford Bros. was…
Wal-Mart’s Cool New Competitive Edge
Merchants understand that reducing energy consumption can provide stores with a competitive edge in the tight margin food retailing business and announcements are made almost daily to herald the opening…
Supply Chain Digest: The On-Going Battle over CPFR
It’s hard to think of any area of supply chain management that causes more debate than Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR). Following a highly successful 1996 pilot aimed at…
Man Girdles Find a Growing Market
The term “suck it up” is taking on a whole new meaning for men who rather than dedicating themselves to working off extra pounds around the middle are now turning…
Starbucks Expected to Play Loyalty Card
About the biggest news that could come out of Starbucks’ annual shareholders’ meeting today would be if the company didn’t introduce a new loyalty program using its prepaid Starbucks Card…
