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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Protecting Privacy is Rewarded with Loyalty
A study conducted by the Poneman Institute and the nonprofit TRUSTe organization uncovered the importance of trust among customers. “This survey shows that companies that make privacy a core value…
Big G To Rationalize Skus
As a retailer once told us, the average manufacturer’s idea of sku rationalization is to explain why a store should open up space for three new items after it has…
Wawa More Convenient For Grocery Shopping
Most stories about supermarkets losing share to a competitor involve a big box such as a Wal-Mart Supercenter or Costco. The story in the Philadelphia, Pa. area is different, however,…
Retailtainment News: Wal-Mart Rocks
Looking for something to do tonight? Why not catch Avril Lavigne in concert. She’ll be playing at your local Wal-Mart. Beginning tonight and continuing on select Friday nights throughout the…
Sony Says iPod, iSchmod
It doesn’t seem that long ago while walking or jogging you would see plenty of people connected to a Sony Walkman. Times have changed, however, and today you’re just as…
Kmart’s New Bluelight Special Is Real Estate
Kmart’s got an aggressive sales push going on. No, it isn’t on its exclusive Martha Stewart Everyday or Joe Boxer lines. It’s on the retailer’s property holdings. What are your…
Study: RFID Will Eliminate Four Million Jobs
The Good News: A study by the Yankee Group says the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology will greatly improve supply chain efficiency. The Bad News: The same research…
Diets Never Last
Ninety-five percent of those who go on a diet fail in the attempt, which may help explain why “new” plans to lose weight seem to appear out of nowhere on…
Trading Partners: Synchronize Your Data
Nick Parnaby, chief marketing officer of the WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE), says trading partners are not getting all the benefits they should from data synchronization. Are trading partners not getting…
Still Making Sense: Timeless Ethnic Merchandising Best Practices, Part 2
Five “best practices” are outlined in the study Grow with America – Best Practices in Ethnic Merchandising and Marketing sponsored by the Coca Cola Retailing Research Council. In this discussion,…
Winn-Dixie Tries Warehouse Approach
With Wal-Mart’s Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets breathing down its neck, not to mention competition from the likes of Publix, Kash ‘n Karry, Albertsons, etc. in Florida, Winn-Dixie is looking for…
Are Profits Following Sales in Sears’ Grand Format?
More open space is one of the improved shopping experience features Sears has in store for shoppers in its new Grand format units. Industry analysts are wondering whether that improved…
Wal-Mart: Blame It On The Weather
Both Wal-Mart and Target said yesterday same-store sales at the chains were coming in below expectations for June. Wal-Mart attributed its smaller than expected increase on flat sales for…
Save-A-Lot Looking to Double In Size, Again
Bill Moran’s bosses at the wholesale grocery company he worked for didn’t go for the Save-A-Lot limited assortment grocery store concept he brought them nearly 30 years ago, so he…
Old School Is Cool
Whether it’s teenagers wearing a replica Brooklyn Dodger cap, a throwback jersey from the 1942 Kansas City Monarchs of the old Negro Baseball League or debating whether Who’s Next or…
Loyalty Card Lawsuit Questions Retailer’s Responsibility
As reported by Connie Thompson on KOMOTV.com, a Seattle area Superior Court ruling says a shopper can go forward with her lawsuit against the QFC chain, operated by The Kroger…
Big G Cuts Sugar, Adds Splenda To Cereals
General Mills announced yesterday that three new reduced-sugar versions of its popular cereal brands, Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs, would be on store shelves by mid-July. The new…
Arby’s: Not Just Roast Beef Anymore
Tom Garrett, president of RTM Restaurant Group Inc., Arby’s biggest franchisee, told the Associated Press, “Our pipeline simply dried up and Arby’s for a short period of time really became…
Wal-Mart’s Grocery Share To Grow To 21 Percent
Daniel Barry, an analyst with Merrill Lynch, predicts Wal-Mart will capture 21 percent of all grocery store sales by 2013, with 850 new supercenter units being built between now and…
Sears’ Strip Mall Strategy For Appliances
Sears sees a future for its appliance and electronics business in strip malls. The chain announced it plans to open 30 new appliance and electronics outlet stores in strip mall…
P&G Rewrites The Marketing Book
Procter & Gamble, the company credited by many with writing the book on brand management, is adding a new chapter on marketing to African-American consumers. The company announced last week…
