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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Borders’ Borrows from Banks’ Christmas Clubs
Whoever came up with the idea for Borders’ new customer loyalty program must have belonged to a bank Christmas club. For those who may not know, bank Christmas clubs let…
Wal-Mart Emphasizes Convenience in the U.K.
Back in August, Wal-Mart’s Lee Scott said, “A lot of Tesco’s growth has come from the small convenience chain. Andy (Bond, the chief executive of Asda) and his team have…
Disney Goes Online Sans Catalog
The Walt Disney Company, buoyed by the percentage of orders for goods being made on the company’s web site this past holiday season, has decided to can its catalog and…
Loblaws to Launch Private Label Clothing Line
The Canadian supermarket chain, Loblaws, is looking to head-off competition from Wal-Mart Supercenters by rolling out its own private label brand of clothing next month. The line will be marketed…
Women in Search of Deals
According to a study by the Frank About Women market research firm, women today are concerned about the economy and, as a result, are doing more comparison-shopping and bargain hunting…
RetailWire Webinar: Getting Real with RFID
As with any hyped anything, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has its share of advocates and detractors. The recent RetailWire Webinar on the subject of RFID looked to move past…
Chain Targets Food for Growth
Target plans to expand the amount of space it devotes to food in its discount stores to drive traffic. According to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Target plans…
Retail Organizations: The Problem Within
A new study from Zenith Management Consulting says that retailers can be making money, growing year-over-year sales, outdoing the competition and satisfying consumers — and still be in trouble. …
You’ve Earned Loyalty
According to AOL SVP of Brand Management Russ Natoce, speaking at the Conference Board brand conference, AOL was able to get 40 percent of its customers in the brand rejecter…
Food Cos. Look to Fill Stomachs and Reduce Waistlines
Hunger pangs be gone. Food marketers, many having been “a day late and a dollar short” when it comes to picking up on diet fads in the past, are trying…
Vons Cuts Double Coupon Offer
Vons is no longer doubling coupons in parts of Orange County and all of San Diego County in California after finding that few of its customers were taking advantage of…
Amazon Looks to Take Bite Out of Apple’s Music Biz
Looks like everyone is trying to take a bite out of Apple Computer’s market share in the downloadable music category, and the latest to step up is Amazon.com. The New…
Urban Outfitters Sticks with Youth Movement
You don’t have to like the goods Urban Outfitters sells, says Richard Hayne, the company’s co-founder, chairman and president, only his customers do. The apparel, accessories and housewares chain, which…
RadioShack Board Stands Behind CEO
RadioShack’s board doesn’t seem to care that its CEO lied about college degrees he said he received but did not. On Tuesday, the board issued a statement saying it “reaffirms…
Pharmacy Gets Out of Cigarette Business
Bayshore Pharmacy is all about health and, to prove it, the drugstore is walking away from the sale of 360 cartons of cigarettes a month. Pharmacist Richard Stryler, an ex-smoker…
Customers Pleasantly Surprised with Wal-Mart’s Changes
Wal-Mart’s research shows that many of the consumers who shop in its stores go there for the basics but take their business elsewhere when it comes to buying other categories,…
Elliott & Company Shares Secrets of Success
What is the difference between successful retail operations and those that fall by the wayside? The 2005 Canadian Gift and Tablewares Association’s (CGTA) Retailer of the Year, Elliott &…
Metro CEO Calls for Single RFID Standard
Hans-Joachim Korber, chairman and CEO of the Metro Group, is a radio frequency identification (RFID) prophet. Mr. Korber’s company has been out front in the testing and adoption of RFID…
Adidas Taking Reebok Back to its Performance Roots
Adidas-Solomon chairman and CEO Herbert Hainer said Reebok made its reputation as a performance brand and, now that his company has acquired the business, he intends to bring it back…
It’s All Inside the Big Red Virtual Box
J.C. Penney is determined to make consumers believe that it, whatever that may be, is really inside its stores. The department store chain is set to launch the largest branding…
What Makes an Independent Grocer Special?
Independent retailers have a very tough time beating mega-retailers on price, but they are more nimble and can use that in various ways to their advantage. How to draw consumers…
