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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Retailers Going Mobile
Doctors may not do much of it anymore, but the house call is alive and well. Companies including grocery stores, pet groomers, auto detailers, dry cleaners and others are…
Bag the Plastic
Ireland’s success in using a tax to reduce the impact of plastic shopping bags on the Republic’s environment has led many national and local governments around the world to consider…
Government-driven Loyalty
When the government restricted Marlboro from using mass media, ad spending went down and profits went up. Not only does this cost Marlboro a heck of a lot less than…
Polar Opposites Rule Retail
The center has gone out of retail. Maybe it has gone out of America. At retail, the luxury market continues to remain strong while, at the other end, dollar stores,…
Farmer Jack Employees Looking for a Way Out
Next Tuesday, employees of Farmer Jack’s will vote on whether to accept a new labor agreement with A&P. Should members of the UFCW Local 876 choose not to accept the…
McD’s Wants Consumers to Smell/Drink Its Organic Coffee
McDonald’s made clear its intention to vie with Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks and any other company that sells coffee with the announcement the fast food chain will replace all the coffee…
Retailers Share in Electronic Sales Prevention Award
This is the story of Marylou’s search for small stereo speakers for her den. One afternoon, Marylou and yours-truly went driving around Paramus, New Jersey in search of said speakers…
Are Independent Retailers Technophobic?
Two surveys, the annual Minnesota University Supermarket Survey on supermarket operations and performance and one author Bill Bittner conducted with the Rutgers Business School, confirm that independent and small chain…
Federated Puts May Execs in Key Spots
Merging two large organizations, never mind two the size of the Federated and May department store chains, is never easy. But Federated may have done itself a favor by keeping…
McD’s to Put Nutrition Information in Plain Sight
From now on, when someone asks, “Do you know how many calories, fat, etc. are in that?,” you will have an answer. At least if you’re at McDonald’s, that is…
Scott: Raising Minimum Wage is the Right Thing to Do
Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart, says doing the right thing is something that is bred into the company’s culture. In a recent speech, Mr. Scott outlined a number of changes…
Kroger/Albertsons vs. Wal-Mart
If the rumors are true and Kroger’s bid for Albertsons eventually leads to a takeover of its grocery rival, then the stage will be set for the combined company to…
Generics Called One Answer to Lowering Healthcare Costs
A new study says American consumers could have held on to $20 billion last year if they had purchased generic drugs instead of buying a name brand version. It also…
New Concept for the Dogs (Humans Too)
Sometime in November, dogs in the Dallas, Tex. area will have another excuse to take their humans out as a new three-in-one store, City Pet Supply, opens that includes a…
Building Customer Relationships by Design
It takes time to build brand relationships, and executive management must commit to this for the long term. The ultimate goal of consumer campaigns should be relationship building because that…
Wal-Mart Making Benefits More Affordable
Wal-Mart is introducing a new health care plan with lower premiums and higher deductibles to give its workers more options when it comes to looking after their and their families…
Loyalty Programs Are Not the Problem
According to Direct magazine, the conventional wisdom followed by many retailers hampers the success of loyalty programs. Few loyalty programs are differentiated based on solid customer insights. Breaking out…
Residents Don’t Want ‘Low End’ Tenant
Residents from a neighborhood in Santa Clarita, Cal. would be happy if a grocer such as Trader Joe’s moved into a storefront left empty since Albertsons pulled out, but they…
Behind Albertsons’ For Sale Sign
Albertsons is for sale but an actual deal being signed seems pretty far off, according to a piece in The Wall Street Journal. The article points out that while Albertsons…
Lampert Wants More Lands’ End
For many, it has been a foregone conclusion that it is simply a matter of time before Edward Lampert sells off Lands’ End because its upscale image simply doesn’t fit…
Wal-Mart ‘Going Good’
Critics of how it treats its employees at home are not likely to give Wal-Mart any points for trying or they may slough it off to public posturing, but there…
