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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
BrainTrust Query: Funny or homophobic? Do advertisers need sensitivity training?
Super Bowl Madness used to apply to the game of football and the craziness of watching a good football game. These days, some feel it’s a more apt term for…
Penney Aspires to Grab Share from Macy’s
Mike Ullman thinks his company is in a good position to take market share away from Macy’s. The chairman and CEO of J.C. Penney believes his company has built a…
Home Depot May Be Reversing Course
When Home Depot began acquiring businesses that sold directly to contractors, home builders and other business customers, then CEO Bob Nardelli saw the creation of a new business unit (HD…
BrainTrust Query: Is the power of the Merchant taking a front seat to Marketing?
Last week, DM News reported the surprising development that the interim head of Home Depot Direct, Steve Skinner, will be reporting in to the merchandising division rather than directly to…
Wal-Mart’s Still About Pricing
Wal-Mart’s naming of John Fleming to a new post as chief merchandising officer isn’t the only recent manifestation of company’s interest in going beyond price competition. Other developments include a…
Circuit City Seeks Spark
Performance is off, stores are closing and executives are being shown the door at Circuit City. Analysts contacted by The Buffalo News have said the consumer electronics retailer has simply…
Stater Bros. Plants Roots to Grow
Staters Bros. has achieved remarkable success in recent years due to competitors imploding and by the company keeping focused on its own workers and customers. Now, the company has decided…
Penney CEO Fixed What Might Have Broken
When Mike Ullman took over as chairman and chief executive at J.C. Penney in 2005, he was faced with an unusual situation and challenge. Although it had rebounded, the mood…
U.K. Women Pounce on New Fashions
In English-speak, clobber refers to clothes, particularly those that are good quality and/or conspicuous. “Clobbered,” according to Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang, therefore means “well dressed.” Of course it also means…
‘Best Baggers’ Instruct and Inspire
At the recent National Grocers Association (N.G.A.) convention in Las Vegas, Brian Bay of Macey’s (Utah) won the first annual “International Best Bagger Championship,” edging out Joanne Edwards of Longo’s…
Immigrants Create Jobs, Could Create More
The real job creators in major cities such as New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston and many others are immigrant entrepreneurs that are bringing foods and other products from their…
Weight-Loss Drug That Works to Go OTC
Imagine if a product that was scientifically proven to work was suddenly available for everyone to buy? That is the scenario that will begin to play out in stores as…
Opposites Attracted to Healthcare Coalition
Wal-Mart and labor unions are on the opposite side of most issues but recently the two antagonists have found some common ground. In a remarkable event that took place yesterday,…
Kohl’s Moves Fast on Elle Deal
Elle is the largest fashion magazine brand in the world and it has nearly five million readers in the U.S. Soon, it will also have its own exclusive line of…
Macy’s Goes with Smaller Lineup, Other Changes
Recently, Bloomingdale’s announced it was looking to expand, but would do so with smaller format stores than it has built in the past. Now, the larger of the Federated Department…
Schnuck’s Prepares for Supercenter Push
Differentiation is the name of the game and the question becomes how best to do that when the competition you fear most is Wal-Mart. In St. Louis, Schnuck Markets is…
Buoyed Economy Driving Consumerism in India
Consumerism in India, which is based on around 208 million households, is buoyed by current GDP growth in the region of seven to eight percent. In the recent past, the…
BrainTrust Query: How do you stay ‘country’ in the new US of A?
Let’s face it. In certain parts of the US of A, country music and the people who like it get a bad rap. And with America’s shifting demographics, things may…
RetailWire: Five Years and Still Cranking
Mark Twain summed it up nicely. “A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.” Five years ago this week, RetailWire went online for the very…
Giants Take Natural Approach to Oral Care
The battle of the toothpaste titans is now spilling into the natural products arena. Last spring, Colgate acquired Tom’s of Maine, and now rival Procter & Gamble is readying a…
Amazon Launches Platform for European Growth
Amazon.com has made a significant business for itself by helping other retailers develop and operate their own e-commerce sites. Now, European retailers Mothercare and Marks & Spencer have plans…
