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Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Critics: Macy’s Needs to Go to Centralized Buying
Macy’s operates seven regional buying offices and some believe that is at least five too many, according to a New York Post report. While Macy’s has operated its regional offices…
Corporate Climate Change Attitudes Confound Consumers
Despite the clamor from consumers and even corporate marketing staffs themselves around eco-issues, a recent study ranked “climate change” at the bottom of priority lists for Britain’s largest companies. …
Retailers Could Take Big Hit from Lease Accounting Change
Proposed changes to how companies account for leases could mean significantly lower earnings for retailers, according to Reuters. Two groups, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards…
Slotting Allowances Lead to Dumbed-Down Retailing
A recent article in The Financial Times, America’s Time-Warp Supermarkets, has a number of critical observations to make of the U.S. grocery business. Among the most biting is the author’s…
CPGmatters: Diageo Reveals What Wal-Mart Really Wants from Suppliers
As category advisor for the beverage alcohol business, Diageo relies on store-by-store planograms to maximize sales in Wal-Mart. There are 35 different shelf sets ranging from four feet to 168…
Celebrity Bashing by Designers
With Paris in jail and Lindsey in rehab, we’ve probably all heard (or done) enough celebrity bashing recently to last a lifetime. But now it’s coming from an unlikely corner:…
BrainTrust Query: What’s Holding Back Innovation of the Supermarket?
While a number of leading retailers are becoming more customer-centered and, as a result, generating relatively stronger same-store sales, there’s a lingering concern in some quarters that supermarket retailers are…
IKEA Goes to Hybrid Passenger Car Fleet in U.K.
IKEA has announced it is switching over its entire 70-vehicle passenger car fleet in the U.K. to Honda Civic hybrids. The company has not announced any plans for its delivery…
Ethnic Products Now Front and Center
The U.S. ethnic cosmetics market has had its share of fits and starts, but the engines are revving up again. In the last two years, P&G has aggressively entered with…
Locked-In Workers Put at Risk
It’s been a part of retailing for about as long as there have been overnight crews. Stores lock-in workers to reduce goods going out the door, make sure employees are…
BrainTrust Query: Is Software-as-a-Service the next step for the intelligent enterprise?
The multi-channel world has provided customers with more shopping flexibility than ever before. As a result, the customer has been put in charge of his or her own destiny, and…
Braintrust Query: Are the goals of data synchronization realistic?
At a session from this week’s UConnect Conference in Orlando, FL, a few retail tech bigwigs shared war stories on data synchronization and their efforts in pushing their organizations to…
Hunting for ‘Locavores’
There are no hard figures to quantify the numbers of consumers for whom buying local is a big deal. What seems apparent, however, is that a variety of concerns starting…
GHQ: Winning Them Over
For wellness customers, savings cards don’t cut it. These shoppers have already shown their willingness to pay a premium for healthful offerings, and discounts aren’t often a source of purchase…
Whole Foods and Wild Oats Vow to Fight FTC in Court
The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday announced that it was filing a lawsuit in federal district court to prevent Whole Foods from buying Wild Oats. In making its decision, the…
Getting Retail Employees to Stay
Nearly half of retail employers say it’s harder to retain employees this year compared to last year, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey. A tight labor market and longer retail…
BrainTrust Query: Will the iPhone take the market by giving customers what they want?
Apple seems to have an open field with its highly (to put it mildly) anticipated new iPhone, due for release on June 29th. The whole Apple mantra is centered…
Young Consumers Don’t Care Where It Came From
An article on the Ad Age website contends that consumers are not motivated to buy a particular product based on where it comes from. According to the article, consumers…
Best Buy Focusing RFID Efforts at Front of Store
Consumers need to know that radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is not an Orwellian nightmare and that it can provide real benefits if properly deployed at retail. That’s why, Bob…
VICS Pushes the Collaboration Envelope
Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association (VICS) is a refreshing combination of practical business approach supported by the technology necessary to implement it. VICS emphasizes a perspective of the supplier-manufacturer-retailer relationship…
Rite Aid Becomes Largest Druggist on East Coast
With the completion of its acquisition of 1,854 Brooks and Eckerd drugstores, Rite Aid becomes the largest drugstore chain operating on the East Coast of the U.S. and the third…
