RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Ad Spending Up, But Branding Takes a Back Seat
Some restaurant chains in the Twin Cities area appear to be gaining confidence in this slowly warming economy and are ramping up advertising expenditures, but their new ads are not…
Starbucks Approaching Oversaturation in Japan
Starbucks’ biggest expansion outside the U.S. has been in Japan, which is now home to 466 stores. But on closer examination, the Japanese momentum is showing sure signs of waning…
Retailers Favoring Use of IT to Improve Customer Service, Survey Says
A new study indicates a retail community that is broadly re-energized in many areas of retail technology development. In one portion of the survey, retailers voice a newfound commitment to…
Netflix Stirs the Sleeping Giant
Events developed quickly this week with DVD-by-mail operation Netflix. First came Netflix’ celebratory announcement Monday evening that they were boosting their second-quarter earnings outlook. Then, Wal-Mart released news that they…
Asda Tests Standalone Clothing Stores (By George!)
Wal-Mart’s U.K. Asda unit will test two standalone stores featuring the George clothing line, which was previously sold only in their standard stores. The new stores will be simply named…
Amazon Markets Its E-commerce Technology
Amazon will launch a wholly-owned subsidiary offering services and technology to help retailers develop their own online enterprises. Amazon’s e-commerce and distribution systems are already being put to use in…
Regionals Running to Stay Ahead of the Pack
In a session at the recently concluded GMA Executive Conference ), top execs representing three leading regional retailers — Meijer, Shaw’s and Roundy’s — provided insights into “Staying Ahead of…
Wal-Mart’s June Off to a Mm, Mm Good Start
Unusually cool weather in many parts of the US meant sales of soup and hot chocolate were hot while air conditioners cooled on the shelf in Wal-Mart for the beginning…
Convenience Store and Consumers on Automatic
Automated retailing’s time has come. At least that’s what Mike Rivalto, owner of SmartMart, an automated convenience store in Memphis, Tenn., is counting on. At SmartMart, customers can drive in…
Last Quarter Harsh for Marsh
Marsh Supermarkets reported a net loss of $824,000 or 10 cents a share for the fiscal quarter ending March 29. Same-store sales were down 2.2 percent of the period. Comp-store…
Giant Gets Into Special Delivery Business
Giant Foods, division of Ahold, will begin offering home delivery to shoppers in the Baltimore area beginning June 22. It won’t be through Peapod, however. Giant working with neXpansion will…
Men: We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Clothes
Stores such as Target and Gadzooks are cutting back or eliminating men’s wear departments because of a lack of demand. Sales of men’s wear have been falling almost from the…
Oops, Suspect is a Senator
A State Senator, the first black women ever elected to Oregon’s Legislature, Margaret Carter, claims she was singled-out by Fred Meyer employees for shoplifting after an exit alarm went off…
FMI Speaks
Food retailer sales grew only 1.6 percent last year, according to the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) Food Marketing Industry Speaks 2003. However, nearly half of retailers surveyed reported posting same-store…
Kmart Chairman Stocks Up on Sears
Edward Lampert, the chairman and largest shareholder of Kmart, has increased his ownership of Sears stock to 10.13 percent from 8.9 percent at the end of the last year, fueling…
Retailer is Certifiably Organic
Whole Foods Market has announced its retail operations have been “Certified Organic” by Quality Assurance International (QAI), which means Whole Foods handles organics in line with national guidelines from receipt…
ConocoPhillips Sells Northeast Units to Cumberland Farms
Convenience store operator Cumberland Farms is going to grow by 200 service stations after reaching a deal with ConocoPhillips. ConocoPhillips readiness to get out of the retail end of the…
Company Owners to Vote on Union
Publix Super Markets, an employee-owned company, is having labor problems. Some of the company’s owners at its Deerfield Beach distribution center want to be represented by the United Food and…
Publix Opens Liquor Stores
Publix opened its second Publix Wine & Spirits liquor store in Kissimmee, Fla. last Saturday, reports the Lakeland Ledger. Publix had previously tried operating liquor stores in the late 1980s…
What Are Americans Eating?
At IDDBA convention, just held in Las Vegas, Harry Balzer of the NPD consulting group presented results from the research firm’s 17th annual “Eating Patterns in America” study. Some findings…
Mad Cow Disease Not Affecting U.S. Beef Sales
It’s barbecue season and Americans are grilling burgers and steaks despite Canada’s case of mad cow disease and higher prices on beef. According to Reuters, U.S. wholesale beef prices have…
