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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
A Manual for Getting Things Done
Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan is “a hard-nosed, hard-edged and hard-boiled guide to the practicalities of leadership in a global competitive economy.”…
Fed Member Thinks CEOs Are Overpaid
William McDonough, president, New York Federal Reserve, has called on corporate executives to take voluntary cuts in pay to benefit shareholders and strengthen the United States’ economy. Is top…
Consumers Still Spending, Only Differently
A recently published Information Resources, Inc. study found that purchasing of consumer goods remains relatively strong, although shopping behavior is being influenced by economic and national security concerns. Will…
September 11th Changes CEO’s Personal and Professional Lives
Top executives of American companies say that the terrorist attacks of last September 11th have affected their views on business and life. How have our personal lives and work been…
HQ Executives Work in Stores
Tesco, the British retailing giant, has sent hundreds of managers from its headquarters to work in company stores in an effort to become more familiar with their own business. Do…
Poll: Opinions Vary on Doing Business on September 11th
Fifty-one percent said retailers should conduct business as usual tomorrow on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to a chainstoreage.com poll. How should we conduct business (or…
Cookie-Making for the Baking Challenged
For consumers secure enough in their own culinary ignorance to admit it, there is now Homemade Cookies for Dummies which includes Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a 14.5oz. bag and…
Can Biz-Schools Teach Ethics to the Unethical?
Columnist John Malmo, takes exception with graduate business schools claiming that their programs can teach ethics to current and future managers. Is there value in adult students taking business ethics…
GMDC Releases New OTC/Rx-To-OTC Merchandising Study
A newly released GMDC study “demonstrates that OTC and Rx-to-OTC switch products are integral to Whole Health and represent an important opportunity for retailers and wholesalers to satisfy customer needs…
Consumers Opt for Cheap Sneakers
According to a piece in The Los Angeles Times, ” sales of athletic shoes costing $150 or more plunged almost 41% in the first six months of 2002.” Is the…
Consumers Shop Back to Front
Findings reported by Sorenson Associates show that consumers do not shop every aisle, they speed up decision-making as the shopping tip progresses, and that placement is usually more important than…
Retail Security is Sick
Retail has been the industry hardest hit by incoming email viruses, according to a report from MessageLabs, an email security firm. What is the state of security in the U.S…
Behavior Consumers Hate
Employees that carry on a conversation while ringing up a consumer at the checkout – ranked as the number one behavior that consumers hate. Does customer service really make…
National Academy of Sciences Wants to Change American Diet
The National Academy of Sciences has issued new exercise and dietary guidelines suggesting that people double their exercise, cutback on foods with added sugar and increase fiber in the diet…
McDonald’s Customers Aren’t Smiling
In an internal memo, McDonald’s described its hourly employees as rude, slow and bungling. Is customer service in fast food operators any worse today than it has ever been? What…
You’re as Old as Your Clothes
A recent study on how consumers dress found that 12% of people wear clothes they believe make them look either younger or older. What are the most effective ways…
Fleming Fights Back
Yesterday, Fleming’s shares fell more than 20 percent as the market reacted to a class-action lawsuit against the company alleging that Fleming misled shareholders about its financial conditions. Fleming is…
Good News and Bad News for Kmart
Kmart’s Joe Boxer line has turned out to be a big hit , however the retailer expects further bumps ahead in the road as it attempts to emerge from Chapter…
Sears Stops Selling Offending T-shirts
Sears has stopped selling a line of T-shirts that critics said were making fun of the mentally ill. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) acknowledged Sears’ action and…
Consumers Clip Coupons to Save
The PMA’s Coupon Council has announced September as National Coupon Month. Their recent survey found that more than half of the respondents redeemed coupons in the last year…
Analyst Downgrades Pathmark and Opens Rumor Mill
Pathmark’s share price fell to a two-year low after Gary Giblen, analyst, C.L. King & Associates downgraded his investment rating on the chain from “strong buy” to neutral. Can Pathmark…
