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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Will Teens Make New 7UP Theirs?
Cadbury Schweppes will be introducing a new green, fruit-flavored version of 7UP targeted to teens, branded with the 7UP name spelled upside-down – dnL. Will the new 7UP be…
Big and Small Boxes Pumped Up for Gas Wars
Mass merchandisers and supermarkets now account for 5.5% of retail gasoline sales nationally up from 3.9% at the beginning of the year. This share number is expected to reach…
McDonald’s Cuts Trans-Fatty Acids in Fries
McDonald’s is reducing the trans-fatty acids in its fries by 47%. The reformulated french fries are expected to be rolled out in all McDonald’s U.S. restaurants by February 2003. Which…
Price Optimization Systems Increase Retail Profits
Retailers as diverse as Longs Drugs, Meijer, Saks and Winn-Dixie are utilizing automated optimization systems to improve pricing decisions and increase gross margins by as much as 10 percent. How…
Supermarket Distributes New Degradable Plastic Bags
An English supermarket is distributing a 100% degradable plastic bag to its shoppers to reduce landfill waste. What role should the retail and CPG manufacturing industries play in protecting the…
Female Associates May Sue Wal-Mart Over Birth Control Policy
Female employees of Wal-Mart denied health insurance coverage for birth control can sue the company as part of a class-action suit after a ruling last Friday by a U.S. District…
Michelob Shape Shifts for Younger Crowd
Anheuser-Busch is preparing to reposition Michelob against imports with a bottle redesign. Does A-B need to recast Michelob’s image to grow the brand with twenty-one and something consumers?
Parenthood Hits Glass Ceiling
A new study predicts that parenthood will be behind the next big wave of gender-discrimination lawsuits. Is parenthood an impediment to career advancement, particularly for women? Is it discrimination or…
Businesses Cry for More Tax Cuts
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s chief economist, further tax cuts are necessary to keep the U.S. economy afloat, particularly as downside risks to economic growth remain. Are further…
Kids of Boomers Shop Till They Drop
Children of baby boomers are surpassing their parents in size and impact as the most coveted market ever. How are N Geners affecting retail marketing and merchandising strategies and tactics?…
Kmart Speaks Spanish
Kmart says it will publish a Spanish-language version of its weekly advertising circular to be featured in 10 Spanish-language newspapers nationwide and in 160 stores serving large Hispanic communities beginning…
Target 86es 88
Target is pulling red-and-black baseball caps and shorts carrying the insignia “88” off the shelves of its 1,100 stores nationwide. Did Target make the right decision in pulling its “88”…
One Third of Americans Are Pre-Diabetic
As many as one in three Americans has a condition called insulin resistance syndrome, putting them at high risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a committee of experts…
Martha Stewart Shows Off Her Furniture
Martha Stewart gave 100 furniture dealers a private showing of her new furniture collection at a High Point showroom. It’s the latest indication that she has no plans of letting…
Sears to Sell Big TVs for Big Bucks
Sears, Roebuck and Co. has entered into selling top-end, big-screen TVs saying the lure of the newest sets would outweigh concerns that economic woes and a jittery stock market could…
Census Releases Grandparent Facts
The Census Bureau has culled facts pertaining to grandparents from recently released Census 2000 reports and other sources to mark the celebration of Grandparents Day. What must retailers do to…
Caffeine May Fight Skin Cancer
A study suggests that a skin lotion with caffeine or with another compound found in green tea can reduce by more than half the number of cancer tumors on the…
Americans Say ‘Take This Job and Shove It’
Workers are becoming less content with their jobs in many parts of the country, most especially in New England. Do companies need to focus on inspiring employees to greater performance…
Consumers Play Hooky on Back-to-School Sales
Wal-Mart says sales in the recent week hit the low end of its August same-store sales growth target as warmer weather led shoppers to buy fewer back-to-school clothes. Does a…
Gross Ads Target Teens
Advertisers are finding a way to connect to the powerful youth market that commands $170 billion in annual spending power with inane, often gross teen humor. Do consumer/retail marketers worry…
Are Malternative Sales Going Stale?
Although there has been speculation that demand may be cooling for the new malt liquor drinks branded with hard spirit names, Jack Daniel’s is rolling out Jack Daniel’s Hard Cola…
