RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Trendy 2006
Understanding what’s about to be hot is often the difference between success and failure in the retailing arena, and Kenneth Hirst, president of the design firm Hirst Pacific, has some…
Going Back to New Orleans
The Rubensteins know exactly what Fats Domino was singing about when he recorded the classic Walkin’ to New Orleans. The family, which operates Rubensteins clothing store on Canal Street…
Suit Could Change Way eBay Does Business
A suit brought by Tiffany & Co. against eBay alleging it failed to take adequate steps to ensure counterfeit goods were not sold on its site could have profound impact…
Wawa’s McHugh Talks Success
Harry McHugh, senior vice president of operations for Wawa, says that innovation and a commitment to values will determine which companies thrive and those that fail to survive in the…
Amazon Looks to Download Consumer Dollars
A report in Variety says Amazon.com is getting ready to announce a new DVD download service that would allow consumers to buy and download programs and movies while waiting for…
Women Watch the Super Bowl, Too
Marketers, including Unilever and Anheuser-Busch, have decided that women have been overlooked for too long — at least during the Super Bowl, that is. The two consumer goods marketers have…
‘Field’s…Macy’s…Um No…Field’s’
Having announced that it would change the banner of its Marshall Field’s stores to Macy’s, Federated Department Stores has evidently taken a pause to reconsider its decision. According to…
Bodegas to Market Better Health
Kudos to New York commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Friednen for lining up bodega owners in the city to join in the health crusade against obesity and the effort to reduce…
Loyalty or Defense
In the pursuit of loyalty, lots of databases full of customer information have been created. An article by Jill Griffin on MarketingProfs.com suggests some ways to use that information to…
Safeway May Benefit From Albertsons’ Deal
Safeway has taken a fair amount of criticism over the years for its handling of chains it has acquired but, according to some, it may be the biggest beneficiary of…
Companies Prepare for Business Warfare
Oorah! Businesses are getting their workforce ready to do competitive battle with Marine-style training. One such company, Jack & Jill Ice Cream’s Food Service Division, wanted to train its…
Get Ready for the Culture Clash – Part 2
You can train employees of various cultural backgrounds on policies, procedures and corporate culture, but how that message is ultimately communicated and received can and does vary dramatically. Culture is…
Retailing in an Hourglass Economy
The distance between the have-alots and the have-nots in America continues to grow while those households that fall into the have-more-than-not group is up slightly, according to a report issued…
Hudson’s Bay Co. Sold
American Jerry Zucker made Canada’s oldest company an offer its board could not refuse. Hudson’s Bay Co. announced yesterday it has accepted an offer by Mr. Zucker’s Maple Leaf Heritage…
Target Goes on ‘International Flight of Fashion’
Target has carved out a point of difference from other discounters and retail stores and it plans to continue doing that. The only difference consumers might see is that some…
A&F All About Full Retail Price
Nothing is on sale at Abercrombie & Fitch. As a report in the Los Angeles Times last week pointed out, while other retailers were drastically cutting prices to move…
Company Doctor Prescribes Cure for Foot Traffic Ills
Syndicated columnist Scott Clark, aka The Company Doctor, has some advice for driving repeat traffic in an article found on the Arizona Business Gazette web site. According to Mr. Clark,…
Wal-Mart Plays the Pied Piper
Record industry executives in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville, et al, are a little more than nervous about Wal-Mart’s success with the Garth Brook’s CD/DVD boxed set this past…
Victory the Only Option for Hannaford in Massachusetts
Rick Meyerkopf, Hannaford Bros. central division vice president of retail operations, said it all. ‘Hannaford is committed to becoming a major player in Massachusetts.” The Delhaize division is now the…
Retailers Searching for Ways to Drive Traffic
Paying for the privilege of being the first can pay big dividends for retailers. According to a Cox News Service report, search engine marketing played a significant role in…
Store Closings Galore
As a CNNMoney.com report points out, we’re only a few weeks into the new year and already a spate of store closings have been announced. Even those opening new…
