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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
REI Looks to Keep Soul and Build Profits
When Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) was begun as a co-op n 1938 by some friends in Seattle who enjoyed mountain-climbing, it was never intended to be a retail juggernaut. Move…
Next Generation SuperTarget to Open in Atlanta Area
Shareholders will get the first glimpse of the new generation SuperTarget store when the company holds its annual meeting next month at a store in Acworth, Georgia. According to the…
Wawa Takes Private Label Route to Uniqueness
Wawa is not interested in being your average convenience store. As the company’s CEO Howard Stoeckel told Knight-Ridder Newspapers, “We want to be unique.” In its continuing quest for uniqueness,…
Wal-Mart Helps Vendors Sort Through Retail Link
Wal-Mart said it will update its Retail Link information system to make it more user-friendly for the company’s vendors. According to an Associated Press report, some of Wal-Mart’s vendors…
Marsh Intends to Sell
Marsh Supermarkets has signed a letter of intent to sell its business to an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners in a deal worth $88 million in cash. Marsh has…
The Affordable, Portable Suit
New men’s suits from Bagir Ltd., sold at J.C. Penney in the U.S. and Marks & Spencer in the U.K., look like others on the rack. They’re attractively priced ($177.99)…
Sam’s Wants a Piece of Costco’s Pie
Sam’s Club is thinking more upscale these days, reports Reuters. Just as Wal-Mart has looked to offer higher quality items in an effort to capture some of the purchasing…
Amazon Offers Lots of Slow Food Online
The prices are good. The selection is fairly broad. Delivery times will not be for the time pressed. Those are the basic pros and cons of Amazon.com’s expanded Gourmet (or…
Wal-Mart to Adapt Stores to Local Demographics
Wal-Mart has developed its “store of the community” initiative to better serve the needs of consumers in local markets. Pat Curran, executive vice president of store operations for Wal-Mart, told…
Kroger CEO Shops the Competition
David Dillon, chairman and CEO of the Kroger Co., understands the importance of shopping the competition. “I get in (stores owned by) most of our competitors a lot,” he told…
More Culture Changes at Sears Holdings
Aylwin Lewis, president and CEO of Sears, is looking to change the culture at the retailer, making it second nature for associates to greet shoppers and work as a team…
Asians Angry with Adidas over ‘Yellow Series’
The graffiti artist whose art appears on the sole of Adidas-Salomon AG’s new “Yellow Series” is of half Chinese descent but that isn’t doing anything to placate Asian organizations in…
Aldi Sees Lots of Room for Growth
It primarily offers private label goods. It charges a quarter to rent a shopping cart. It doesn’t take credit cards. Its stores are small, no frills operations and they’re closed…
Grocers Give It the Gas (Discount)
The U.S. is a nation addicted to cheap energy and, when the cost of gasoline goes up, there is nothing better for attracting consumers than prices lower than the competition…
Wal-Mart Receives Cheers and Jeers
No matter what Wal-Mart does these days, it appears as though its actions are going to get some groups annoyed with the company, even as others applaud. The most recent…
Loyalty in Parts
“At heart, it’s about enhancing the ownership experience, and keeping those customers in the GM camp.” That’s how Bryan Burkhardt, global director of retail inventory management for GM service and…
Competitors Confident Against Publix Sabor
When it comes to operating supermarkets, few companies do it better than Publix. So, when the company opened its first two Publix Sabor units targeted to Hispanic consumers, other businesses…
Privacy: How Quaint
In the “good old days,” consumer privacy issues were relegated to things like cutting up old credit cards, destroying receipts, and hoping the waiter didn’t write down your credit card…
Is America Ready for Wine Superstores?
In the Fort Lauderdale area, independent wine shops have long ceded the lion’s share of wine sales to big chains such as Publix and Costco. But Bacchus’ crown may soon…
Full Steam Ahead, Even If it Means Wal-Mart vs. Wal-Mart
“Growth, growth, growth” continues to be Wal-Mart’s mantra for success, even when expansion results in eating into its own sales, according to a Wall Street Journal piece by Kris Hudson…
Home Depot Tests Auto Supply Department
Home Depot has built its business on helping consumers fix up their homes and gardens, and now it is taking its DIY approach to the garage with a 10 store…
