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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
You’ve Got Sales
The 2002 holiday selling season is going to be a good one, assuming you’re an online merchant, according to a just released report, which projects an increase of 16 percent…
Pharmacists Wanted
There were nearly 7,000 openings for pharmacists in 2000 up from just 2,700 two years earlier according to the Department of Health and Human Services. What is the answer to…
Lowe’s Speaks Hispanic Consumers’ Language
DIY retailer Lowe’s has announced that its 600-project “how-to” library is now available in Spanish on the company’s web site. How does Lowe’s customer-focus compare to retailers in other channels?
Is Big Brother in Shopping Carts
CNET News.com has reported that Safeway is testing shopping carts with touch screens and scanners in two of its stores. The carts track a shopper’s path through the store and…
Most Would Vote for Union
Americans have little faith that the economy is going to rebound anytime soon. They have even less faith in their employers, which is why most say they would vote for…
Canadian Consumers a Lot Like Americans
The Toronto Star has reported that ACNielsen of Canada will unveil research that says a generally older, urban and time-pressed Canadian consumer has meant sales increases for convenience products and…
Sainsbury Puts Square Cans onto Linear Shelves
J. Sainsbury plans to expand its tests of its new square soup cans, says the retailer’s packaging innovation manager, Terry Robins. Mr. Robins said, “So far feedback from the trial…
Fewer Days to Christmas Means More Online Sales
Analysts are predicting sales increases of up to 35 percent over last year’s fourth quarter levels for online retailers. The shortened shopping season, retailer incentives such as free shipping and…
Competitors: Nothing Negative to Say about Wal-Mart
For retailers in the community of West Bend, there was quite a bit of trepidation when the news that a Wal-Mart supercenter was planned for their little corner of southeastern…
Alzheimer’s Answer May Be Found at Sea
A new study out of France sees a link between eating fish and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Other studies on fish consumption and polyunsaturated fatty acids have…
Wal-Mart is Not the Evil Empire
The recent revelation that Wal-Mart has become the largest private employer in Pennsylvania has given the company’s bashers another excuse to link the rise of the retailer with the supposed…
A Move to Consolidation Warehousing
The current distribution system is plagued by multiple touches of product, which leads to productivity losses, product damage and other inefficiencies. A collaborative warehousing approach in which there is one…
Getting in Touch with Men’s Interior Decorator Side
If Lowe’s and Home Depot can focus on women to grow product sales normally associated with men, then it makes sense that the opposite would hold true. That is what…
A Wunderful Experience
Saturn, Gateway, Wal-Mart, Palm and Costco are the top five brands in the experience of American consumers according to new research from Wunderman. What are your thoughts on the Wunderman…
No New SuperK’s to be Built
Kmart is not building any new supercenters while it attempts to emerge from Chapter 11 protection. A company spokesman, Jack Ferry says, “It’s really due to being able to conserve…
What’s Next for Ahold
With its stock price taking a hit and no new acquisitions on the horizon, Ahold has to look to itself for answers, according to a Dow Jones Newswires’ report. Ahold…
Fleming Sees Nothing But Red in Third Quarter
Fleming said that it lost $1.5 million or three cents per share in the third quarter on comparative operations to a $16.5 million profit and earnings of 35 cents a…
Meaty Issues
Among the results of research from the National Pork Producers Council, the average consumer spends four-minutes per shopping trip, three and one-half hours per year, shopping in front of…
Smoothie Sailing
The Juice and Smoothie Association (JASA) reports that juice and smoothie bar business sales moved pass the $1 billion mark last year. Are smoothies next in line for Starbucks-like success?…
26 Shopping Days (Enough) Till Christmas
This year, Thanksgiving falls on November 28 reducing the number of shopping days before Christmas to 26. However, that’s no longer a valid reason for explaining poor or, for that…
Battle of the Supercenters
Competition for Michigan’s consumers is heating up between Wal-Mart and Meijer. Wal-Mart has opened 14 supercenters in Michigan. Eight of those are located in the same community as Meijer’s…
