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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
White House: Tiffany Should Cut Prices, Not Advertise Gripes
Tiffany & Co. recently ran a letter in the Washington Post taking issue with the Bush Administration’s decision to approve construction of a silver and copper mine in the Cabinet…
Leahy: Congress May Need To Step In on RFID
In a speech given earlier in the week at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., Senator Patrick Leahy (D – Vermont) expressed concern about the potential for radio…
Albertsons Buys Shaw’s and Star Markets
Albertsons has announced that it has agreed on a deal with Britain’s J Sainsbury to buy the Shaw’s and Star Market supermarket chains for $2.457 billion. What are your thoughts…
Burd Challenged on Chairman and CEO Roles
In a scene not unlike that recently played out at Disney with Michael Eisner, investors at Safeway are asking if the company would be better off stripping chairman and chief…
QVC Charged With Making False Claims
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged QVC with making false claims on its broadcasts about weight-loss products it sold. Do federal agencies such as the FTC have too much…
EEOC Files Discrimination Suit Against Lowe’s
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a federal lawsuit against the DIY chain Lowe’s for what it claims is “a pattern and practice of refusing to hire…
IKEA Prez: Family Before Work
A stress attack she feared was a heart attack several years back served as a wakeup notice for Pernille Spiers-Lopez, president of IKEA North America. It was time to find…
Union, Grocers Need Reality Check
A piece by Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein says reality has passed both parties by in the current negotiations taking place between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW)…
Better Burgers And Fast
An article by Bruce Horovitz in USA Today says a number of fast food restaurants including Burger King, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr. and others are looking to draw in customers by…
Insider Selling Raises Eyebrows
A column by Michael Brush on the MSN/Money Web site expresses concern over the number of top execs at specialty retailers who have been selling off shares of their company…
Retailers Getting Into Magazine Publishing
A recently announced deal between Wal-Mart and Time Inc. to publish a magazine sold exclusively through the retailer’s stores is likely to spur imitators, reports Reuters. What are your thoughts…
Dollar Tree Looks To Grow On TV
Dollar Tree is taking to the airwaves with television spots the company hopes will help it stand out in the minds of consumers against all the other dollar store format…
Home Depot For Newlyweds
Now, couples beginning a life together will have another option for well-wishers who want to help get them off on the right foot. Home Depot has launched a gift registry…
The Book On Warhol and Wal-Mart
In Cool News About Retail: From Warhol to Wal-Mart, the author Tim Manners shares 92 stories that speak to the power of the retail environment to connect with consumers and…
Plan B: Pharmacists’ Versus Patients’ Rights
A number of states are considering legislation that would allow pharmacists the right to refuse filling a prescription for the so-called morning-after pill or Plan B without fear of losing…
CEO Sleeps Better With Security Measures
Last week’s Food Safety Summit in Washington, DC coincided with the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, and many of the questions asked about the safety of the food…
Reichheld’s Great Reassessment: Focus on Promoters
If you’ve spent any time working on loyalty, you’ve encountered the work of Frederick Reichheld. If you haven’t kept up on Reichheld, he’s changed. What do you think of Reichheld’s…
McD’s New Look Happy Meals
McDonald’s is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its introduction of the children’s Happy Meal with new packaging and healthy items selected to meet the tastes of local markets around the…
Mervyn’s Tries Dollar Store-Within-The-Store
The department store chain, Mervyn’s, announced yesterday it would add a store-within-a-store concept called the “$1 to $5 Shop” to each of its retail locations. What are your thoughts on…
Best Buy’s CEO Focuses On Customer Centric Service
Brad Anderson, chief executive officer, Best Buy told Reuters, “People come to specialty stores because they are looking for some service or selection that they can’t get from the mass…
Ralphs Closing 15 Stores
Ralphs Grocery is planning to close 15 stores it says are not performing well enough to keep open. How are the chains doing in the aftermath of the grocery worker…
