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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
HHS Task Force: Rx Imports Not Now, Probably Not Ever
People living in the U.S. who travel to Canada to buy prescription medicines at pharmacies there are probably safe but a new Health and Human Services Department task force says…
Analyst: Vendors Not Putting $ Where Their RFID Is
An analyst claims the vendors participating in Wal-Mart’s radio frequency identification (RFID) technology program are spending and doing the bare minimum to keep their largest customer happy. Do you believe…
Is Niche Retailing Becoming More Proactive?
“Facts About Store Development 2004,” an FMI study featured in Progressive Grocer, shows that while in 2003 new store construction was slow, it was driven by target market-focused stores. To…
Big G Gets Into Weight Loss Biz
The Wall Street Journal reports that what started out a year ago as an in-house initiative to help General Mills’ employees lose weight is turning into a consumer marketing initiative…
Consumers Aware, Not Comfortable With RFID
Survey results from BIGresearch and Artafact LLC show that a growing number of consumers are now aware of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology but that doesn’t mean they’re more comfortable…
Attention Shoppers: Where Are You?
Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue (to borrow from McDonald’s) have been “lovin’ it” this holiday season as upscale shoppers have been spending freely, but, with less than a week…
The Next Big Thing: Self-heating Coffee
There’s a new coffee in town, actually just at Kroger for the moment, and it is being hailed as the next big thing in coffee drinking. It’s the Wolfgang Puck…
‘Store Next Door’ Alternative to Big Boxes
After a redesign, AmeriStop’s 110 FoodMart stores will be 3,400 square feet. That’s big by convenience store standards but far smaller than the average big box store the company says…
Loyalty Means Improving Redemptions
DM News reports on declines in email response rates based on data collected by New York ad technology firm DoubleClick. Doubleclick attributed the lower response rates to consumer fatigue brought…
Two Americas Get Ready for Christmas
This year’s holiday sales season is a study in contrasts. By all accounts, retailers selling luxury goods to their upscale customer base are doing extremely well. Those stores that rely…
Execution Keeps Customers Coming Back
A new study conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by StorePerform Technologies found that the typical adult in the U.S. will make a trip to a store at least eight…
Governor Wants Violent Video Games Made Illegal
Illinois’ governor Rod Blagojevich called for the state legislature to make it illegal for retailers to sell or rent games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and JFK Reloaded…
Who Holds The Purse?
British retailer, Marks & Spencer, has created a play area in six of its stores in the U.K. for boys of the adult variety. The “Men’s Creche” as it is…
The Many Returns of the Season
What’s your return policy? This and similar questions have been asked by holiday shoppers for years as gift givers face the reality that the absolutely adorable sweater or other wonderful…
Source: Wal-Mart Execs Fired Over Integrity Breach
For years, Sam Walton and the company he and others built were hailed as a shining example of American ingenuity and the desire to excel. Today, the company finds…
Analyst: Potential Bidders Might Jettison Softer Side
Craig R. Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, told the Chicago Sun-Times he doesn’t think the Sears/Kmart is a match made in heaven. He also doesn’t think that the proposed…
Blockbuster CEO Tired of Being Butt of Jokes
Blockbuster’s chairman and chief executive John Antioco didn’t think it was funny that the company’s policy of charging fees for the late return of movies and games was becoming fodder…
What Race Are Hispanics?
Writer Richard Rodriguez calls Richard M. Nixon the inventor of Hispanics. His logic? In 1972, Nixon signed a federal mandate called Statistical Directive 15, establishing the current system of classifying…
UFCW Shouldn’t Repeat SoCal Mistake
Bill Dombrowski, president of the California Retailers Association, writes in the San Jose Mercury News that the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), currently in labor negotiations in Northern…
Consumers Want Healthy Choices and Lower Prices
The results of a new survey conducted for Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Retailer says consumers are looking for answers when it comes to making healthy food choices and the opportunity…
Retailers Holding Line on Margins
For every hot toy or electronics gadget that gets discounted in the run-up to Christmas, there are other products that stores are marking up as retailers try to come out…
