RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Natural Gas Cars Hit the Road
Honda wants to clear the air. The company has been selling its natural gas vehicles to fleet operators for seven years and now, for the first time, it is offering…
Fair Trade Furniture, Guitars, etc., For Sale
You might not think the best way to preserve valuable old growth forest space would be to cut down trees but that’s exactly what is happening in places such as…
Food Pyramid Gets Kudos and Raspberries
When the USDA unveiled the new food pyramid, the agency touted the simplicity of the visual as necessary “to encourage consumers to make healthier food choices and to be active…
Who Has the Power?
In an opinion piece in Grocery Headquarters, Gary Giblen, senior vice president and director of research at CL King & Associates, writes that the combination of consolidation on the manufacturer…
Humans Need Not Apply
From a business standpoint, there is a lot to commend in the potential use of robotics. Robots don’t organize (at least not yet), they don’t require a salary or health…
Sears Looks for Broader Appeal With Latinas
Sears announced the introduction of a new clothing line called Latina Life. The product line will be available in 425 Sears stores in August. Latina Life is unique in that…
Costco Helps Bring Down High Cost of Healthcare
Patrick Callins, VP of member services for Costco, said the warehouse club leader isn’t looking “to be everything to everybody.” What it is looking for are “programs where we can…
Penney Chief Wants To Win Hearts, Minds and Wallets of Middle Class
In a meeting with Wall Street analysts, J.C. Penney chairman and chief executive Myron “Mike” Ullman said the retail chain is looking “to win the hearts and minds of middle-income…
Retailers Increase Email Marketing Activity
Research by Bigfoot Interactive indicates that retailers are finding email marketing to be both a cost effective and productive means to increase sales. Which retailers (online or multi-channel) do the…
Target’s Answer to National Meth Abuse Problem
Target has said that over the next two to three months it will pull all over-the-counter (OTC) remedies containing pseudoephedrine from its store shelves and move them behind the pharmacy…
A New Level of Window Shopping
The Economist magazine in their latest technology quarterly has shown the real purpose for a cell phone camera — shoppers can photograph barcodes on their intended purchases to gather and…
Martha Not Confined to Linens at Kmart
Martha Stewart is breaking out, so-to-speak. No, she hasn’t thrown off her tracking bracelet and fled house arrest to go cavorting around the Connecticut countryside. What she has done, along…
The Value of a Dollar Store-Within-a-Store
Dollar stores and dollar stores-within-a-store are popping up in all the expected places and some unexpected ones, as well. The president of the Tennessee Grocers Association, said dollar store-within-a-store sections…
Major League Loyalty
Promo P&I informs us of the launch in Tampa last month of the Players Choice Platinum Club, a new loyalty program supporting major league baseball. The program’s goal is to…
Retailers on Deadline to Secure Data
Businesses that accept credit card payments need to secure customers’ personal information from identity thieves by June 30 or face fines as well as the potential for legal liability for…
Boomer Women Get Chico-fy’d
Chico’s has built its business catering to the needs of mature women and the baby boomers who shop in its stores love the attention. So what is the chain’s secret?…
McD’s Looks Good for 50
Fifty years to the day Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s franchise in Des Plaines, Ill., the fast food icon is opening a new restaurant in Chicago on the spot…
Penn Traffic Gets New Life
Robert Chapman, president and chief executive officer of Penn Traffic described the grocery chain’s emergence from Chapter 11 as a “new life” for the company adding that today it “is…
Customers Pleasantly Surprised at New Kmart
The Kmart in Troy, Mich. is one of nine nationally currently testing Sears’ products in its stores. Other “new” Kmarts are located in Boca Raton, Fla., White Plains, N.Y., Bohemia,…
Does Self-distribution Still Make Sense?
An advantage of being a self-distributing retailer is the ability to take advantage of purchasing discounts offered by manufacturers. But with many manufacturers going to scan based promotions that pay…
Restaurants Just Saying No to Trans Fats
Jason’s Deli: “Your body can’t metabolize this stuff. So why should I serve it to my customers?” Ruby Tuesday’s: “We didn’t do it to drive business. We did it…
