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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Organized Retail Theft Bill Introduced in Colorado
A bill introduced in the Colorado House would a create a task force to combat organized retail theft as well as instituting measures including requiring flea market dealers to show…
Meatpacker to Sue for Right to Test Meat
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef wants to test all the cows it processes for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease. There is one problem, however. The U.S…
Technology and Consumers – Reality vs. Promise
Transactions that were once full service are now self-service: banking, airline check in, retail check out, customer service on the phone, etc. But are consumers looking for tech solutions? Most…
Home Depot and Others Fill in the Appliance Vacuum Left by Sears
According to data from research firm Stevenson Co., Sears Holdings Corp. is still the U.S. appliance market leader, with 34.1 percent share in 2005, but that’s down from 38.7 percent…
RFID Viruses: Wake Up Call or Non-Story?
In the last week, since the release of a white paper written by a group of researchers from the University of Amsterdam describing the possibility of embedding RFID tags with…
Americans Choose from Global Menu
America is broadening its culinary horizons as the influence of television cooking shows, web sites and an increase in ethnic restaurants has many consumers commonly eating dishes once viewed as…
Stores Looking to be Different
Food stores are increasingly becoming a niche business as operators have learned that the path to success lies in targeting specific core consumers instead of trying to satisfy the needs…
A One of a Kind Wal-Mart
A sushi bar, 500 kinds of organic produce, baggers at checkouts and $3,500 big screen television sets are just some of the things you’ll find at the newest Wal-Mart Supercenter…
Inspiring Woman Advocates for Minority Businesses
Essence magazine included her among its “50 of the Most Inspiring African-Americans.” Valerie Daniels-Carter is hoping that her example will inspire women and minorities to reach for their…
Liz Claiborne to Open Stores
Liz Claiborne Ltd. is looking to get lucky with new stores the fashion design house is opening to promote a line of the company’s jeans. The stores promoting the Lucky…
Best Buy’s Experiments
Best Buy isn’t afraid to try new things. The consumer electronics chain has set its sights on becoming more customer-centric and it has been willing to test a number of…
Nestle Outsources Logistics Functions
Nestle Chile S.A. has given Ryder the task of managing its distribution network in that South American country. Under the deal, Ryder will manage two distribution centers responsible for serving…
Harley-Davidson Looks to Customers of the Future: Women, Blacks, Hispanics
Marketers across the country have felt the unprecedented effect of the maturing Boomer generation, for better and for worse. One such company is Harley-Davidson. While Boomers single-handedly transformed Harley’s rumbling,…
Concerns Over Krispy Kreme CEO’s Plans
Daryl Brewster, the recently appointed chief executive of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., has extensive background in marketing packaged goods and that is what worries some investors and franchisees. For those,…
Body Shop Sells Out
There will be those who believe The Body Shop’s founder Dame Anita Roddick gave up the cause when she sold the chain to the cosmetics giant L’Oreal, but that’s not…
The Skinny on the Jeans Business
Baggy pants and flare cuts are out and tight-fitting jeans with straight legs are in, say fashion industry experts. Some wonder, however, if the trend to tighter fitting jeans doesn’t…
Stelzer Speaks to Technology Challenges
BrainTrust panelist Ron Margulis spoke at length with John Stelzer, director of retail industry marketing for the business integration solutions provider Sterling Commerce, on technology trends in the retail industry…
Sears Looks to the Future
The good news: Sears Holdings reported that its profit for the fourth quarter more than doubled from the previous year as a result of the company’s efforts to drive costs…
Wine Retailers Try to Drum Up Support
A new organization, The Specialty Wine Retailers Association (SWRA), has been launched to help protect the cross-boarder shipping rights of wine retailers. The organization consists of wine retailers across 30…
Whole Foods Rebuilds, Publix Prepares
Six weeks after announcing the reopening of a store in New Orleans, Whole Foods Market is ready for the grand reopening of another Louisiana location damaged by Hurricane Katrina. How…
The Battle of Bean Town
When Dunkin’ Donuts at 715 Boylston Street in Boston found out about Starbucks’ promotion to give away free cups of coffee between 10:00 a.m. and noon today, it quickly shifted…
