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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Forget Atkins, Have A Grapefruit
Few businesses have been hurt more by the popularity of the low-carb weight loss craze than the Florida citrus industry. What do you think about the Florida citrus industry’s newest…
BK Franchisee Blames Corporate
The largest franchisee of Burger King restaurants in the U.S. says its net income was down 66 percent in 2003 and it was because the chain’s new product initiatives and…
Kids Cutting Back Clothes
American kids are spending a lot less on clothes than they used to. According to a report from NPD Group, teens spent 13 percent less last year while tweens (7…
The Passion Still Inspires Christian Sales
Mel Gibson’s film, ‘The Passion of the Christ’, has brought about a boom in the sale of Christian religious articles and there is little sign of abatement as the movie…
What Will You Do With Your Tax Refund?
Despite Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan’s latest remarks expressing less concern about consumer debt, almost half of consumers plan on using their tax refund money to pay down what they…
Survey: Catalogs Drive Online Shopping
A survey by Millard Group Inc. found 80 percent of consumers receiving catalogs in the mail say receiving them influenced them to shop for an item online. Nearly two-thirds of…
Laws May Require RFID Notification
The states of Utah and Missouri are currently considering legislation that would require that consumers be notified if a package or product they purchased contained a radio frequency identification (RFID)…
Pols Saying No To Wal-Mart National Bank
Members from both sides of the political aisle are joining together to limit the ability of industrial loan companies to branch out. Should Congress pass a law limiting the ability…
Dollar General Looks Ahead
Management at Dollar General doesn’t want to spend much time talking about past mistakes it says it has fixed. It is much more interested in its plans to open new…
Home Depot’s CEO Believes In Top Down Leadership
Bob Nardelli’s tenure as the chief executive of Home Depot is the subject of the latest In The Lead column by Carol Hymovitz in the Wall Street Journal. What is…
FDA’s New Anti-Obesity Plan Gets Mixed Reaction
The Food and Drug Administration unveiled its proposals to fight the growing rise of obesity in the country with new voluntary labeling guidelines that would make it easier for consumers…
Drugstores Capturing Grocery Share
Mike Mallon, vice president of real estate for Dominick’s, told the Chicago Tribune, “Walgreens are popping up on every corner.” What are your thoughts on the expansion of the major…
A Different Kind of Leader and Company
Dan Cathy isn’t your typical president of a $1.5 billion fast food business. What’s the secret of his and his company’s success?
Target Aims To Wipe Smiley Off That Face
Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at NPD Group, told the Star Tribune that Target’s decision to seek buyers for its Marshall Field’s and Mervyn’s department store chains so it may focus…
Senators, AARP Want Rx Imports
Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott, (R-Miss.) says he doesn’t have a satisfactory answer for his mother when she wants to know why she has to pay more for the…
Coke Is It In Euro Music Downloads
A report by the BBC says Coca-Cola’s music download site, MyCokeMusic.com, is the largest for-pay service in Europe with consumers buying 10,000 songs a week. Do the moves by Coca-Cola,…
Hiring and Keeping Good Store Level Employees
Anyone in retailing can tell you that attracting and retaining qualified and dedicated workers can be a real challenge. Just as consumer demand management is now tilting towards science…
Setback in War on Terror
The Guardian Web site included translations from several Spanish publications on the terror attacks in Madrid. We found the following excerpt from El Mundo particularly chilling for obvious reasons. How…
Baristas Go Back To School
Starbucks is significantly expanding its paid employee training program, says the company’s chairman, Howard Schultz. What is your reaction to Starbuck’s employee training improvements?
Starbucks Gets Into Downloadable Music Biz
Starbucks’ chairman Howard Schultz told Business Week, “This is not a test. We’re going for it.”Mr. Schultz was talking about the coffee shop chain’s decision to offer a downloadable music…
Beyond Brand Martha
If you’re Kmart and you were counting on Martha Stewart to continue pulling your brand position up a notch in the retail space, you’re scrambling right now. What to do…
