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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Pennsylvania Recruits Supermarkets
An editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer gives credit to the Pennsylvania Governor’s office and state legislators for the portion of an economic stimulus program that seeks to attract supermarkets to…
Sec. Thompson Calls for Health Leadership at FMI Show
Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson worked clean-up in the batting order for FMI’s Speaks 2004 annual state of the industry report on Sunday morning. Sec. Thompson is…
CVS Takes Beauty Tips From Department Stores
The drugstore chain is following the example of department stores by opening separate cosmetics and beauty care counters within its stores, reports the Miami Herald. What are your thoughts…
Kmart Stronger, Not Yet Strong
Kmart has managed to emerge from bankruptcy protection more quickly and adeptly than many industry observers thought possible. While this is good news, the company still has a long way…
Wal-Mart Helps Improve Neighborhood
Vocal opponents cast Wal-Mart as a soulless goliath that swallows up competitors, destroys jobs, attracts crime and leaves local communities in tatters. Many people living in South Central Los Angeles…
Working Vacations
You might see yourself in these numbers. Forty percent of respondents to a survey by the American Management Association reported doing office related work while on vacation. One in…
Cook It Yourself
Imagine being able to step into the kitchen and find all the ingredients you need to make a meal have been preassembled for you. Then imagine finishing the meal preparation…
Consumers Pinching Grocery Pennies
Given the choice of buying groceries in a traditional supermarket or a discount store, more consumers are opting for the savings at supercenters, warehouse clubs, limited assortment grocery stores, etc…
Your Customers’ Wallets are Being Stolen
And you, not your customers, feel the loss. That’s the warning Vicki James has for retailers in the May 1st issue of Direct magazine. “Those without a strong loyalty strategy…
Food and Gas Prices Climbing
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is at its highest level since 1990 with the annual rate of inflation now at 5.1 percent, reports the Christian Science Monitor. Rising gasoline and…
Understanding the Wal-Mart Shopper
Exactly who is the Wal-Mart shopper? The easy answer might be everybody, but Todd Hale, SVP – Consumer Insights, ACNielsen, gave a more specific profile, largely based on Nielsen…
Best Buy Makes House Calls
Best Buy’s chief executive, Brad Anderson, has said he wants to improve the customer experience for those shopping at the consumer electronics chain. Now, he’s ready to extend that experience…
Marketing Has Bad Rep
Consumers are feeling increasingly intruded on by marketing and advertising messages, and many are turning a deaf ear and blind eye to any attempt to influence their purchasing behavior. What…
Costco Dividend Plan Praised By Analysts
A report in the Seattle Times suggests Costco has bowed to pressure from Wall Street to be more “shareholder-friendly” by announcing it would pay a quarterly dividend of 10 cents…
What To Do When You’re Not The Category Captain
Seemingly, every supplier wants to be category captain in order to take the lead in working with retailers to optimize results in the category and ensure that their category management…
Half Of Recalled Meat Never Recovered
Authors of a newly published study that tracked the success of meat and poultry recalled between 1998 and 2002 say only half of the product was actually recovered and that…
It’s Time To Get Oil Monkey Off Our Back
A column by Scott Burns of the Universal Press Syndicate found on the Houston Chronicle’s Web site says history will judge our government and auto industry badly if a concerted…
Mixing Media: Spanish-Language Advertising and Hispanic Marketing
In two influential studies released last week, marketers who target the Hispanic market learned two things: one, Spanish-language advertising spending is not commensurate with the total size of the U.S…
Grocers: The Enemy Is Me
Smart grocers have stopped blaming Wal-Mart for all their troubles long enough to take a good look in the mirror and realize the real enemy is staring them straight in…
KFC Gets Roasted
Having unsuccessfully attempted to convince the consuming public and the Federal Trade Commission that fried chicken was the equivalent of health food, KFC is trying a less controversial approach this…
Kmart and Martha Make A Deal
As has been widely reported, Kmart and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia have reached an agreement that will revise and extend the term of the contract for Martha Stewart’s Everyday line…
