RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
NRF Predicts Seasonal Cheer For Retailers
The National Retail Federation (NRF) said retailers shouldn’t spend time lamenting disappointing sales from the third quarter because they’re going to be plenty busy during the upcoming holidays. What do…
Albertsons Buys Into New Niche
Albertsons is going upscale. Yesterday, the company announced it purchased Bristol Farms, the 11-store gourmet grocery chain in Southern California. What do you expect Albertsons to do with Bristol…
The Marketing of “La Presidencia”
Joe L. Whitley is credited with the statement, “If you think advertising doesn’t work, consider the millions of Americans that now think yogurt tastes good.” In this year’s presidential election,…
Product Targets Consumers Concerned With Waste
Laurie Brown, founder and CEO of Minneapolis-based Restore Products Co., is counting on consumers concerned with the environment to make her new product a success. The Restore Refill Station is…
Almost Everyone Shops at Wal-Mart
According to the latest numbers from Retail Forward’s Wal-Mart Shopper Update, half of the primary shoppers in U.S. households go shopping at a Wal-Mart store on a monthly basis. One-fourth…
Marketing That Gets Inside Your Brain
In the not too distant future, marketers may find hitting on the right marketing message is only a brain scan away. Today, researchers are studying how consumers’ brain activity…
No Way To Curb This Enthusiasm
Fast casual dining establishments, including Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday and Outback Steakhouse, are driving as much as 10 percent in incremental sales without ever having customers come through the door. Curbside…
Retailers’ Customer Service Passes the Hurricane Test
Under normal circumstances, you would be hard-pressed to find many consumers who rave about the customer service they’ve received at a retail outlet. That’s what makes it all the more…
Shoppers Appreciate Intelligent Targeting
According to a survey by the Poneman Institute, as reported by Direct magazine, a majority of people would view banner ads as less intrusive if they were more relevant to…
McD’s Olsen Twins Promo Faux Pas
Here’s one to be entered under the “What the heck were they thinking?” category. McDonald’s in France is running a Happy Meals promotion featuring the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley…
Will The Poor Have Enough To Even Shop Wal-Mart?
A report by TheStreet.com says, “Wall Street is keeping one eye on the spending power of low-income Americans, whose endurance appears to be waning as their federal tax refunds run…
Kmart Becomes Synonymous With Irrational Exuberance
As Yogi Berra said, “This is like déjà vu all over again.” In the nineties, Alan Greespan issued his famous warning about “irrational exuberance” in the marketplace and those following…
Gap’s New Concept-To-Be For Women 35+
Gary Muto has a new challenge. The until recently president of the U.S. division of The Gap, Mr. Muto has been given the task of developing a new apparel chain…
Wal-Mart Pulls Back On Neighborhood Market Plans
Wal-Mart has decided to put off building more Neighborhood Markets in Colorado until it has gained greater penetration with its Supercenter concept, reports the Denver Post. What is your read…
Why Would Someone Want To Work For You?
Mary Herrmann, an executive coach in Chicago, says all managers need to ask themselves one question: “Why would people want to work for me?” What does it take to be…
NY’s AG Takes Retailer’s Money to the Bank
Jos. A. Bank Clothiers has agreed to pay $425,000 in civil fines and $50,000 in costs as part of legal settlement with New York state over the clothing chain’s advertising…
Ralphs Still Looking For SoCal Rebound
The grocery workers’ strike/lockout in Southern California has been over for months but Ralphs is still finding it tough getting back to where it was before pickets appeared outside the…
Can Grocery Retailers Successfully Target the Asian American Market?
For retailers and marketers, targeting Asian American consumers has always represented a certain conundrum. Although Asian Americans — a diverse segment comprised of Chinese, Koreans, and Asian Indians and other…
Armed Services Teach Customer Service Lesson
While the recent violence brought the tally of American military personnel killed in Iraq to over 1,000 since U.S. and British forces first invaded that country, less media coverage has…
Study Suggests Suggestive Selling
Clothing retailers are losing the opportunity to increase rings every day because sales people frequently fail to recommend and show customers items they might find of interest. Are retailers teaching…
Macy’s To Go Hyphen-less
Say goodbye to Bon-Macy’s, Burdines-Macy’s, Goldsmith’s-Macy’s, Lazarus-Macy’s and Rich’s-Macy’s and hello to just plain Macy’s. Federated Department Stores announced it was doing away with its hyphenated regional department store banners…
