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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
SEC Asks Kroger and Albertsons for Accounting Data
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked Kroger and Albertsons to provide it with information on how the companies account for vendor payments. According to Reuters, Kroger said “it…
All Employees Are Not Created Equal
Every company has them. Workers that are “high performers” and those that, well, are not. An article on the KPMG Consumer Markets Insiders Web site maintains “there is growing evidence…
Roundy’s Takes Rainbow Foods
A bankruptcy court awarded Roundy’s with 31 Rainbow Foods stores when it disqualified the only other bidder. Bob Mariano, chief executive officer, Roundy’s will take over management of the Rainbow…
FT: Ahold To Sell US Foodservice, Reduce Debt
According to a Financial Times report, Ahold’s interim chief financial officer, Dudley Eustace, and other executives have mapped out a strategy to reduce its debt and regain credibility in the…
Sheetz Fights the Starbucks Phenomena
Starbucks has demonstrated that consumers will spend more for what they perceive as a superior cup of coffee. Now, Sheetz and others are trying to convince consumers they can get…
Stewart’s Legal Woes Grow
Federal prosecutors will seek an indictment against Martha Stewart in connection with the sale of 4,000 shares of ImClone, according to her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Company shares fell…
Consumers Just Looking
Few things are more important in retail than how store associates greet and offer to help customers. Why then, experts wonder, do so many do it so badly. Jeff Mowatt,…
Whole Foods Has Labor Issues
Some of employees of the country’s largest natural food store chain are painting a somewhat different picture of the way the organization treats its workers than management would like. Employees…
Moods Are Contagious
A new study reported in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests “people are capable of ‘catching’ the mood of a spouse or friend.” One expert believes the findings…
Forget Cost, Think ROI with RFID
Concerns about the cost of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are keeping retailers and manufacturers from realizing the benefits of the technology, according to James Crawford, vice president, Retail Forward…
Restaurant Goes Low-Carb
Andrew Goldstein owner of the Good Ol’ Days restaurant wanted to lose weight so he went on a low-carb diet. Six inches smaller around the waist later, Mr. Goldstein decided…
Parking Lot Crimes Make Headlines
Violent crime taking place in the parking lots of retail establishments has taken on a higher profile in the news. Last year’s sniper shootings in the Washington, DC area and…
Top 10 List for Great Service
A list of top ten steps for creating superior customer service appeared in an article on the Hawaii Business Web site, beginning with, “Number 10 – Never settle for average…
E-Commerce Latino Style
Spanish-speaking consumers are flocking to the Internet and retailers and manufacturers are responding by building Spanish-language e-commerce sites, reports USA Today. The number of Hispanic consumers online grew seven percent…
Excess Inventory Drives Discounting
The weather and the war in Iraq are blamed for stores saddled with an oversupply of merchandise. To turn product, many are resorting to inventory markdowns. The net result, Todd…
Consumers Give Supermarkets High Marks
A new Harris Interactive survey asked respondents to rank 15 industries on how well they serve consumers. Supermarkets ranked first with 85 percent saying grocers were doing a good job…
Bob’s is for Guys
When David Farrell became president and chief executive officer of the Bob’s Store sportswear chain he discovered the company had an identity crisis. The retailer’s problems stemmed from a strategy…
Consumers Not Aware of Antibiotic Use
A new survey says only 48 percent of Americans are aware of livestock being given feed containing antibiotics. The research conducted by Synovate (formerly Market Facts) for Whole Foods found…
New Products on a Short Leash
It’s not enough for a new product to sell well anymore. It also needs to drive category growth if a retailer is going to give it dedicated shelf space, according…
A-B Tests New Brew
Anheuser-Busch is testing a new Pilsener-style beer the company hopes will achieve the same success in the high end of the category that A-B enjoys in the premium and light…
Grocer Looks for Organic Growth
The Irish supermarket chain, Superquinn, has made the decision to begin growing its own organic food to offset shortages in supply and keep pricing under control.
Moderator’s Comment: How much of…
