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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Wal-Mart and Best Buy Say Duties Not Needed
Executives at Wal-Mart and Best Buy called on the U.S. International Trade Commission to block plans by the Bush administration to put anti-dumping duties on color television sets imported from…
The Carb-Counting Continues
Even those not following Atkins or the South Beach diet are limiting their intake of carbs, says a new study. Morgan Stanley surveyed 2,500 adults and conducted focus groups to…
Vending Units Expand Selection
Vending machines aren’t just for soda and snacks anymore. At least that’s what retailers and consumer goods manufacturers of products other than soda and snacks are counting on. What are…
Meatpacker Not Taking USDA’s No For An Answer
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef isn’t happy with the U.S. Agriculture Department’s decision last week to prohibit the company from privately testing its own cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (aka Bse;…
Thousands Line Up For $6.75 An Hour
Wal-Mart’s new Supercenter in Glendale, Ariz. opens today. The real story here, however, is not the opening but what happened prior to the store being ready for shoppers. What do…
Domino’s To Go Public
When the private equity firm Bain Capital LLC bought the Domino’s Pizza chain in 1998 it was considered just a matter of time before the company took the business public…
The Mainstreaming of Ethnic Markets
The Southern California labor dispute is over, but the story of its ultimate impact on the grocery business has yet to be written. The fact that so many consumers –…
Theft Charge Dropped, Civil Suit To Follow
Carla Jaworski is a 59-year old grandmother who has worked for 12 years at a Kmart store in Indiana. Recently, Ms. Jaworski was taken into police custody, because her employer…
Love American Business Style
Increasingly, we hear people saying they have no life, but no shortage of work to do. This all work and almost no play lifestyle leaves many with few options when…
Wet Seal Staff Defections Bring Out The Lawyers
Greg Scott did a great job when he was the president of Arden B. stores, a 99-store chain selling upscale young women’s clothing. Then, he left to take over as…
Gateway Computers – The April Fools of Branding?
How could a company that built a track record of excellence in early brand management continue to fail so miserably, both financially and as stewards of the Gateway brand? What…
Dream Shopping
I’ve just created my dream shopping experience. It is the only thing I can think of that would persuade me to enter a super-store of 100,000 sq. ft. or more,…
Avoiding CEM: Customer Elimination Management
In the April 2004 Direct magazine, “curmudgeon-at-large” Herschell Gordon Lewis writes about his experiences with American Express Platinum Card customer service, or as he characterizes it, “Customer Elimination Management.” …
McD’s Goes Bunless
Beginning as early as next month, people following the Atkins Diet can walk right into their local McDonald’s and get a hamburger or chicken sandwich their way. That’s without the…
Jim Beam Adds Kick To Starbucks Coffee
For those who define strong coffee in different terms, there will shortly be a premium coffee liqueur from Starbucks and Jim Beam on the market later this year. The still…
Better Overworked Than Unemployed
ComPsych, an international employee assistance company, recently polled 700 employees of its U.S. clients and found respondents view their jobs as being less stressful than those asked the same question…
Kohl’s Looks To Get Back On Track
Kohl’s, once the darling of Wall Street as it sped past its department store competition, has hit a bump in the road. According to a report in USA Today by…
Wal-Mart’s CEO Lists Concerns
Lee Scott, president and ceo of Wal-Mart stores, has a lot on his mind and he shared his concerns with an audience at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce’s…
Trains Were Not The Only Target In Madrid
A report on the Ananova Web site sourcing El Mundo newspaper in Spain said, “Terrorists who blew themselves up last weekend as police moved in to arrest them over the…
Inglewood Votes No On Wal-Mart
Voters in the predominantly African-American suburb of Los Angeles, Inglewood, voted by a 60.6 percent to 39.3 percent margin to reject Wal-Mart in its bid to build one of its…
Safeway’s MOR Differentiation Strategy
Safeway’s new competitive strategy calls for it to “strengthen its standing among grocers that fall between discount stores and high-end supermarkets.” The company’s latest attempt to capture the middle of…
