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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Largest Meat Recall in U.S. History
Pilgrim’s Pride is recalling 27.4 million pounds of cooked sandwich meat. The recall, ordered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is the largest in U.S. history. Do the number…
Oregon GMO Vote Not Needed, Says FDA
Genetically modified foods are just as safe as conventional foods and need no additional labeling, says the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a letter written to Oregon’s governor, John…
Consumer Study Presented at PMA Fresh Summit
Robb Bertels, publisher, The Packer, presented results of a recent consumer study at the PMA Fresh Summit in New Orleans. The purpose of the study was to understand more about…
Starbucks Still Trying to Get Food Right
Starbucks has revolutionized the coffee business, but has failed to figure out how to match the success of its food to its beverage offerings. The most recent experiment, however, may…
Safeway Changes Strategy
Like most other grocers, Safeway is feeling pressure from more selective consumer spending and Wal-Mart. Safeway’s response has been to focus on lowering prices and stepping up promotional activity. …
Caution: Coffee Spill Ahead
The Chicago Tribune reports that approximately twenty percent of meals eaten by adults in the U.S. are consumed behind the wheel of a car. And an insurance company has developed…
Starbucks is Right on Target
Target and Starbucks have reached an agreement to put a Starbucks coffee shop in all new Target locations as well as many existing stores beginning next fall. Are Target…
Coke Offers Roadmap to Category Growth
Thirsty consumers are walking out of and driving away from convenience stores without making beverage purchases, according to a new Coca-Cola study. What are the biggest impediments to and opportunities…
SuperEgg to the Rescue
The British Egg Information Service wants consumers to eat an egg a day and it has come up with a novel means to seek to influence behavior. A prototype egg…
Consumers Say: Give Till It Helps
Thirty-five percent of consumers say that a company’s charitable contributions affect them “a lot” in making purchasing decisions, according to a new Porter-Novelli survey. How should retailers and other…
It Must Have Been the Fish
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) believes that eating fish may be hazardous to the health of consumers and it wants the FDA to do something about…
“Did you Wawa today?”
Speakers at the NACS Show workshop, “Differentiating Yourself From the Competition,” offered their views on what it takes to stand in the crowded and highly competitive retail marketplace. Do you…
Price More Important than Brand with Consumers
Most consumers are willing to trade brands for the right price, according to results of a new survey. Nearly 80% of consumers switch brands because of a deal on…
Fleming’s Thatcher to Focus on IGA
Fleming announced that it has named Jim Thatcher, president, Fleming IGA. Mr. Thatcher previously served as president for Fleming Retail’s southern operations. What is the current state of IGA retailers?…
Conventional Convenience Stores R.I.P.
“You can no longer have stores that rely on cigarettes, beer and cheap gas,” says Clay Hamner, co-founder of the bankrupt Swifty Serve convenience store chain. “That business model is…
Wal-Mart Tests Another New Concept
Wal-Mart is testing a new concept, known as the Personal Business Center, that combines a bank, post office and an office products store within a supercenter. It often appears that…
Warren Wanders in PL Packaging Land
Warren Thayer’s, ‘Warren’s Wanderings’, column in the September 2002 issue of PL Buyer magazine touches on the negative reaction of manufacturers to retailers “dictating which packaging supplier to use for…
Starbucks New Drinks Called Obscene
The CSPI says that Starbucks new Coconut Crème and Vanilla Crème Frappuccinos are downright obscene (health-wise). The nonprofit organization named the two items to its list of Food Porn of…
Ruling May Scare Away Costume Sales
The prices on Halloween costumes might get downright scary next year if a federal appeals court upholds an earlier ruling that these items should be treated and taxed as though…
POP Increases C-Store Sales from the Pump to the Fountain
New research from POPAI reports that in-store displays, signage and media can grow sales from five to 13 percent in convenience stores. Are most c-stores, and retailers in general, making…
Express Lanes Not for Everyone
Some D’Agostino’s have eliminated express lanes believing that when they are empty they increase the waiting time of shoppers on the non-express lines. The chain believes that operating all the…
