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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
The Apple of Disney’s Eye
Less than one week after Amazon launched its UnBox movie download service to underwhelming reviews, Apple Computer announced it would begin selling 75 full-length Walt Disney films online. New…
Cool, Trendy and ‘Mean Something’ Clothes
Eladio Correa, brand marketing manager for Etnies, manufacturer of skate footwear and apparel, stated the obvious. Consumers want apparel and accessories that are “cool and trendy” while offering a new…
Big Box Wage Battle Far From Over
Mayor Richard Daley’s veto of the so-called “living wage” ordinance in Chicago yesterday represents nothing more than a short respite in the fight going on in that city and elsewhere…
Store Brands and Exclusive Labels Make or Break the Retailer
Retailers in all trade channels have to be concerned with finding the right mix of store brand/exclusive label products and those falling under the national brand and designer label categories…
Wal-Mart Continues RFID Rollout
The Wal-Mart RFID wagon rolls on. The company announced today that roughly 25 percent of its stores and clubs would make use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology by the…
Walgreens Thinking Smaller to Grow
Walgreens’ CEO Jeffrey Rein says the company is thinking smaller. Speaking before an audience at the Goldman Sachs’ retail conference last week, Mr. Rein said the company is considering opening…
U.K. Retailers Seek Advantage on Waste Issue
Consumers and retailers in the U.K. are drawing closer together in their views on waste and packaging. Finding ways to reduce waste through a combination of increased recycling and using…
Are American Businesses More Prepared Today for a Terrorist Attack Than They Were on September 11, 2001?
We’ve all heard, and perhaps even said, how 9/11 changed everything in America. But, what exactly does that mean for American businesses and, for our purposes, retailers in the U.S.?…
A&P Will Sell If the Price is Right
Christian Haub, executive chairman of the board, for the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., told attendees at the Goldman Sachs retailing conference that the grocer was looking to turnaround…
Penney Seeks to Make Its Lovemark
People who have heard Kevin Roberts, the chief executive officer of Saatchi & Saatchi, speak about “Lovemarks” tend to come away impressed. Not the least of these apparently was Ken…
BrainTrust Query: What’s the best approach for marketing to Asian Americans?
Packaged Facts has just released a new report on the Asian American market called Asian Americans in the U.S. The report highlights several companies who have developed successful marketing…
Hannaford Gives Three Stars to Healthiest Foods
Hannaford Bros. is looking out for the nutritional health of its shoppers. The chain recently announced it was creating a nutritional ranking system that would alert customers using stars on…
Wal-Mart Builds to Suit
Attention African-Americans, Hispanics, empty-nesters, the affluent, those living in the suburbs and others living in rural areas: Wal-Mart has a store just for you. The world’s largest retailer is…
BrainTrust Query: Do retailers need to find new ways to innovate?
Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about innovation. Tom Kelley, author of the recent book, The 10 Faces of Innovation, calls it “the lifeblood of all organizations.” According to some…
One Too Many Macy’s x 85
Macy’s is about to begin its national rollout as it replaces department store banners across the country with its own, and one thing appears clear: The retail chain has too…
BrainTrust Query: What should New Orleans’ grocers do roughly one year after Katrina?
Even before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was never considered a normal retail environment for supermarkets. Since Katrina, the definition of normal has changed. As citizens of New Orleans became…
Chain Store Age: Multichannel Retailers Streamline Returns Operations
Which companies come out winners and losers in the online arena can often be directly tied to customer service. Often, discussions of online customer service focus on how easy it…
Real Mexicans Don’t Eat at Taco Bell
Taco Bell has an image problem. It is a fast food chain selling Mexican (inspired?) food, but Hispanics aren’t buying it – literally. The chain has done well…
American Eagle Grows Up with Martin & Osa
American Eagle is looking to help young adults (25 – 40) graduate from the scruffy look of their teenage and college years to more mature designs better fitted to their…
FDA Issues Caveat Emptor Warning on Canadian Pharmacies
According to an FDA warning, consumers should not buy prescription drugs from web sites that have orders filled by Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy or Mediplan Global Health in Manitoba, Canada…
RFID: The Standard(s) Excuse
Of all the reasons given for the seemingly glacial pace of RFID technology, one of the more prominent is a lack of standards for areas such as data structure and…
