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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Yucaipa: If at First You Don’t Succeed, Buy, Buy Again
Most people probably thought the maneuvering was over when Supervalu, CVS and an investment group led by Cerberus Capital Management were chosen as the winning bidders for the Albertsons chain…
BrainTrust Query: Is there a future for food wholesalers?
In general, the food marketing industry has experienced sweeping changes in the last 20 years but, with the exception of food brokers, no segment has experienced more change than the…
Wal-Mart Builds, Waits for Communities to Catch Up
A report by The News & Observer points out that Wal-Mart is now building stores in markets that appear headed for major spikes in population, even if they are not…
Amazon Gathers Info on White, Gay Christians Earning Big Bucks
Amazon.com has filed an application with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for a system the company is developing that would capture intimate details on customers such as their ethnicity,…
BrainTrust Query: Is retail technology in a rut? Where will the next big advance come from?
Eight years ago, the Nasdaq Composite Index broke 2000 for the first time. And it just broke 2000 again…after soaring to 5000 and plummeting to 1000 in the interim. Given…
Staples Becoming More Mature with B-T-S Marketing
For years, Staples has focused its back-to-school (b-t-s) selling on grade school kids and their parents. The company’s newest initiative is “like so mature” as the office supplies retailer is…
Developing the Next Generation of Coffee Devotees
17 year old Patricia Eggerton says, “If you can’t go to someone’s house for whatever reason, then coffee shops are a good place to sort of meet up. It’s a…
BrainTrust Query: What does it imply for manufacturers when retailers initiate programs to reduce their store-level inventory?
Wal-Mart’s “Inventory Deload” and “Remix” initiatives are by far the most high-profile examples of what we expect will be the focus of a growing number of successful retailers, i.e., decreasing…
NRF to Get Out the Vote
The retail industry has over 23 million people working in it and the National Retail Federation (NRF) wants them all to vote. That’s why the group has launched a voter…
RFID Revolution Not Here Yet
A recent report in The Dallas Morning News said proponents of RFID have made claims that the technology would make many daily activities easier for consumers. For now, however, most…
GHQ Cover Story: Booster Clubs
Organized retail crime (ORC) is taking a bite out of merchants’ profits and supermarkets are no exception, according to the latest Grocery Headquarters’ cover story, Booster Clubs. In fact, many…
Good Vendor Relations Keep the Wheels Turning
Toyota has recently moved up in position to become the second largest automaker in the United States. Much of that success, according to the company, comes down to the relationships…
So You Think You Can Create a Menu
On any given week, millions of Americans can be found tuning in to and voting for their favorite performers on television shows such as American Idol and So You Think…
BrainTrust Query: Are greater sales truly in the loyalty cards?
Reward card program members tend to spend more in 11 key merchandise categories than non-members, says newly-released research. Shopper motivation, however, appears to be a bit harder to quantify. For…
Pediatricians Want Shopping Carts Redesigned
The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) says in a new policy report that shopping carts need to be redesigned to protect small children from accidents. It also wants stricter government…
Minimum Wage and Estate Tax Go Down Together
A bill that would have increased the national minimum wage and repeal portions of the estate tax (AKA the death tax) never made it to a vote in the Senate…
BrainTrust Query: What will TiVo’s new audience ad-skipping research mean to the effort to reach consumers?
Last Wednesday, USA Today broke the story that TiVo is making a move to help Madison Avenue measure the damage of its ad skipping capability. Its new Audience Research and…
Tesco Sees Green in Loyalty Program
Forget about a couple of pence off for using your own bag instead of the store’s when you shop at Tesco. The largest grocery chain in the U.K, is looking…
EEOC: Supermarket Gives Preference to Hispanic Workers
Compare Foods is a supermarket chain catering to a primarily Latino customer base, so it only makes sense it would hire a large number of Spanish speakers to work in…
BrainTrust Query: Are African American women stereotyped too often in ads?
A full figured African American woman asks her boyfriend if her pants make her rear end look big. As the camera zooms in on her large backside, her boyfriend stuffs…
Belk Happy to Take Chains Off Saks’ Hands
Saks Incorporated is looking to concentrate on its Saks Fifth Avenue luxury department store business and Belk, Inc. has been happy to help. In July 2005, it bought 47 Proffitt’s…
