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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Penney Seeks ‘Really Cool’ Status
Anna Garlington didn’t expect to buy anything other than underwear for her daughters when she visited her local J.C. Penney, reports BusinessWeek. But, she had a coupon in hand for…
Some Suppliers Dragging Feet on Wal-Mart’s RFID Program
Wal-Mart’s top suppliers that participated in the first phase of its radio frequency identification (RFID) technology program all met the minimum requirements set by the retailer but that is not…
What’s Up with Wal-Mart?
While it got out of the gates fast this past holiday season, Wal-Mart sales numbers for December have many wondering what’s wrong with the world’s largest retailer and whether its…
Sears Brands Go Into Kmart But Not Vice Versa
It was widely expected when Kmart and Sears merged that the combined company would take the best each chain had to offer and bring it together under one roof. As…
Shopping by Phone Takes on New Meaning
The year 2006 will mark the year that consumers began ordering items from retailers by cell phone, according to industry experts. As an article in The New York Times points…
Stores Called Unprepared for Coming Gray Wave
Everyone knows that the population is aging and that a growing percentage of society will be made up of senior citizens in the very near future, so some who follow…
Feds Seek to Clamp Down on Meth Abuse
Despite 20 years of fighting the illegal manufacture and use of methamphetamine in the U.S., the drug is at the peak of its popularity and is said to have reached…
Customers Rage
A study conducted by the Customer Care Alliance shows what many already know: customer service stinks. For many, dealing with customer service issues means taking away from their limited…
Another Year, Another List
It’s a consistently repeated phrase in retailing circles that the only constant is change. That said, looking back on 2005 we find that many of the issues that were high…
Podcasts Evolving as Marketing Medium
A new survey indicates that while podcasts remain a small market, it is growing and the makeup of the audience is becoming more populated with female listeners. A survey…
Retailers Spring Into Action
Retailers looking to differentiate themselves from the competition and boost the bottom line with sales of full margin product moved swiftly to put spring merchandise out on display when shoppers…
The Gift of Loyalty
Delta Airlines, through their SkyWish program, lets SkyMiles members donate flight miles to 16 designated SkyWish charities. Delta will cap off this year by donating 5 million miles. The…
7-Eleven Parent Now the Fifth Largest Global Retailer
The parent of 7-Eleven convenience stores, Seven & I Holdings Co., is set to become the fifth largest retailer in the world after it completes a $1.13 billion deal to…
Undercover Shoppers
An increasing number of retailers are hiring outside firms to send in undercover shopping agents to assess everything from how good a job a store is doing in clearing shopping…
Retailers Dream of a Black Day-After Christmas
Depending on the locale and the report you were reading, shoppers either turned out in droves at stores yesterday or chose to do something other than return items and cash…
Bed Bath & Free Valet Parking, Too
Bed Bath & Beyond in Pleasant Hill, Ca. wanted to make its customers feel special and keep traffic moving smoothly through its parking lot, as well as in its store…
Wal-Mart Takes $172 Mil Hit In Lunch Break Case
Allegations by retail workers that they’ve had breaks cut short or denied altogether by managers when stores are understaffed and/or simply very busy may be as old as retailing itself…
Albertsons Says ‘No Sale’ for Entire Company
Albertsons announced that it is ending talks to sell the entire company after its Board of Directors decided it was not going to get the type of bid it was…
Retailer Told Waste Not When So Many are in Need
A column by Jim Kenyon in The Valley News of West Lebanon, N.H., takes Home Depot to task for destroying and throwing out the various building materials and other goods…
Traffic Picks Up on the E-tail Superhighway
As stores in New York look for ways to cope with the impact of a transit strike that has put thousands in the city on foot, their online extensions and…
Transit Strike Brings Store Traffic to a Halt
According to most reports, retail sales had not been particularly strong in New York City before the transit union went out on strike this week. The last thing retailers in…
