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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Faith-Based Marketing Draws Crowds
It’s been said that faith can move mountains. It’s certainly been proven that it can draw crowds. According to a report in USA Today, minor league baseball teams are drawing…
A New Kind of Assembly Line
Too little time and too much to do is becoming the mantra of generations of Americans and a new generation of food businesses have sprung up to help a frazzled…
The Immigration Crossfire
An annual report from the U.S. superintendent’s office of immigration notes rising immigration levels into this country and warns about “an enormous influx of foreigners unacquainted with our languages and…
Camp Old Navy
A group of kids got to find out what working at retail is all about at “Camp Old Navy” at the Chapel Hill Mall in Akron. The program, reports the…
Inspiration from the Kitchen Sink
Simone Restrepo, the chef at the Sibling Rivalry restaurant, gets some of his best ideas from dishwashers. A report in The Boston Globe said that some of the best restaurants…
Save-A-Lot Losing Some Momentum
Supervalu’s limited assortment concept, Save-A-Lot, has seen its business turn slightly southward as it deals with the impact of higher fuel prices, increased competition and the need to upgrade stores…
Wal-Mart Takes Another Run at Banking Biz
The nightmare of bankers everywhere may be about to come true. Wal-Mart Stores, which has been turned away in California, Canada and Oklahoma, may finally be approved to establish an…
Independent Has No Fear of Competition
In his 1933 inaugural speech, Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the psychological aspects of the Great Depression head on. “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have…
Grocers: The Price is Right in Center Store
The Wall Street Journal reports that a number of supermarket operators have cut the number and frequency of promotions of center store items and, instead, lowered regular prices on popular…
Diner Survey Says: Don’t Rush Us
Diners are looking for speedy service at restaurants. Just don’t make them feel as if they are being rushed out the door if you want them patronizing your eatery again…
Save Money – Outsource Your CEO Today
In her Wall Street Journal In The Lead column, Carol Hymowitz wonders if perhaps it isn’t now time, in the search for lower labor costs, for companies to start laying…
Perfecting the Art of Sales Prevention
RetailWire BrainTrust member Mark Lilien says, “In automotive retailing, I’ve recently come to believe, the key department is sales prevention. I realize this Web site doesn’t have many articles about…
NAACP Gives Retailers a ‘D’ Grade
Major retailers are just not making the grade when it comes to people of color, says the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Last week, the NAACP…
Costco Defies Street’s Wisdom
Jim Sinegal, the CEO of Costco, says he pays attention to Wall Street analyst’s criticism of how he runs the warehouse club retailer. He simply doesn’t let it interfere with…
Trader Joe’s – Loyalty is as Loyalty Does
In excerpts from his book, Trader Joe’s Adventure, run in Workforce Management, Len Lewis spells out the philosophy and tactics behind how Trader Joe’s achieves high levels of employee loyalty…
Skogen Named Grocer of the Year
Dave Skogen has been named the recipient of the Wisconsin Grocers Association Grocer of the Year. In a manner typical of the grocery industry veteran, Mr. Skogen told the Holmen…
Some Carrots with Your Crabby Patties
Will SpongeBob SquarePants be more successful than Popeye in getting kids to eat their spinach? Poseidon’s favorite fry cook always says that the secret ingredient in his famous crabby patties…
The Haves Spending More in Clubs
The lure of great deals on bigger ticket items, from flat screen televisions to fine art, has many affluent consumers willing to pay the membership fee price of admission to…
McD’s Combines Work and Homework for Pay
Kathy and Jerry Olinik employ a lot of teenagers at the two McDonald’s they operate in Michigan and they care about how they turn out. That’s why the couple, who…
Pancakes Plus
IHOP rolled out its first major menu revamp in over ten years last month. The chain that made its reputation selling breakfast is hoping that customers will also see the…
Gap Finds Doing the Right Thing Can Be Hard
The Gap wants to do the right thing when it comes to protecting factory workers at overseas suppliers. The company released its second annual social responsibility report yesterday summarizing the…
