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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Melamine Contamination Links Port Security to Food Safety
The U.S. is an importing nation and it simply is too onerous a process to inspect everything that comes into the country’s ports. That’s why food ingredient shipments are allowed…
VT Murders Raise Background Check Questions
Legal experts believe last week’s massacre of 33 people at Virginia Tech was a direct result of a flawed background-check system that did not prevent Cho Seung-hui from purchasing firearms,…
Former Penney Boss Joins Wal-Mart Board
Allen Questrom, knows something about putting the life into a lagging retailing banner. Now, the 40+ year retailing veteran has been nominated to join Wal-Mart’s board of directors, making…
Texting for Shoppers
Once upon a time, the competitive advantage of small shops was personal service. Then along came technology and supermarkets started getting more ‘personal.’ Using emails, phone calls, regular mail, special…
BrainTrust Query: Is globilization gaining importance with U.S retailers, or is this a tempest in a Tesco teapot?
The area most rapidly emerging on retailers’ list of importance is “globalization”–yet it hasn’t jumped up much on manufacturers’ radar screens at all. In fact, it fell in importance for…
Non-Foods Going Up and Online
Forrester Research projects that an increasingly large percentage of sales in health and beauty care and other non-foods categories will migrate to e-tail between now and 2011. Consequently, it appears…
Eco Fashion Goes Upscale
Luxury fashion designers and retailers have caught onto the green wave with new lines of clothing and accessories that can lay claim to being “environmentally friendly” and “socially responsible.” Why…
Restaurants Get Environmental Ethics
One thing many small business owners often share is a determination to create a business matching their core values. Good intentions, however, are not always enough. Allegra McEvedy, co-owner and…
Retailers Make Green Moves Before Earth Day
Wal-Mart and Home Depot were the two highest profile retailers to make green moves this week in the lead up to Earth Day on April 22. Both the world’s largest…
Chain Store Age: Invest in Restrooms
When it comes to restroom facilities, having an easily accessible, clean and inviting space can give a store a competitive advantage with female customers. Unfortunately, many retailers don’t give restrooms…
Coke Rethinks Philanthropy
The Coca-Cola Co. is reorganizing its main charitable department and fundamentally reshaping how it gives locally, nationally and internationally. The change not only promises to spread more of the philanthropic…
BrainTrust Query: What lessons can marketers take away from PBS’ ‘war’ with Hispanics?
“History is written by the victors,” said Winston Churchill. Well, the victors this week are Hispanics, who just won a war waged against PBS to get their side of the…
Domo Arigato Pharmacy Roboto
Hy-Vee has a new worker filling prescriptions at its pharmacy in Marshalltown, Iowa. The new guy, it turns out, isn’t a guy at all. It’s a pharmacy robot that takes…
Grow It Yourself
There’s an old adage that if you want a job done well, you should do it yourself. While many 21st century people pursuing “busy lifestyles” do not agree – and…
In-Store Tech Investment Enablers
A recent survey by Retail Systems Alert Group (RSAG) found that retailers overwhelmingly believe in-store technologies are instrumental in improving customer satisfaction rates. But issues around costs, reliability and value…
What’s Wrong With This TJX Picture?
In the April 12 entry on the fine StorefrontBacktalk blog, Evan Schuman points out that, while many consumers may say they have concerns about identity theft, their actions suggest an…
Montgomery (Kohl’s CEO) in the Middle
Larry Montgomery, chairman and chief executive officer of Kohl’s, has his company positioned squarely in the middle between discounters on one end and upscale department stores on the other, and…
Harmon Discount Health & Beauty to be Renamed
Harmon Discount Health & Beauty, the New Jersey-based division of Bed, Bath & Beyond, recently opened a new format store in Clifton, N.J. under the banner Harmon Face Values. Since…
Credit Card Cos. and Banks Take Heat for Fees
Last week, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) issued a report that said credit card fees paid by convenience stores exceeded the industry’s total profits. Total credit card fees…
Federated Execs Get Double Discounts
The execs and board at Federated Department Stores are also using the discount perk as a means to motivate themselves to buy at the company’s stores and websites. According to…
Clueless Companies Don’t Get Customers
It’s no secret many companies in retailing and elsewhere have a perception of performance that bears little resemblance to the views of consumers. Research conducted by Forrester’s CMO Group found…
