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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
NRF: ARTS Hits Its Stride
At this week’s NRF Conference, ARTS announced the latest release of its data model, a new ARTS data dictionary, and a new release of the ARTS SOA Blueprint. They also…
NRF: The Sky Has Fallen
In a session entitled “The Sky Has Fallen: Now What?” held Tuesday at the NRF convention, J.C. Penney CEO Myron “Mike” Ullman III, along with two financial experts, offered a…
CPGmatters: S.C. Johnson Promotes ‘Reinventing’ Center Store of Supermarkets
At industry conferences lately as well as within his own company, David Milka, consumer insights manager at S.C. Johnson & Co., is advocating nothing less than a “reinvention” of the…
NRF: Retail Tech Buzz – Customer Experience and Green Solutions
One of the launches at this week’s NRF convention is from ScentAir Technologies Inc., which finally brings scents to the selling process. In a tough economy, technology that engages the…
Wal-Mart’s Scott Delivers Swansong Speech at NRF
Outgoing Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott gave his final public speech at the NRF’s Annual Conference Monday, starting out on a depressing note and only getting marginally more cheery as he…
The ‘Pink Plague’
Pink has always been associated with girls who have also liked, and had access to, other colors. Now, according to a story in the UK’s Daily Telegraph, a proliferation of…
Retail TouchPoints: Microsoft Tag Debut Builds Momentum For Mobile Commerce, QR Marketing
Building on the early successes retailers are experiencing with short codes and other mobile marketing, a new technology platform being ushered in by Microsoft could dramatically change the game. Debuting…
TNS Retail Forward: Retail Malaise ‘Bottoming Out’?
The consumer-spending funk has to end some time and TNS Retail Forward believes it could be now. According to the consulting and research firm, December same-store sales declined 1.5 percent,…
Study Considers Checkout Pushers and Pullers
A new research report suggests that retailers’ approach to merchandising the checkout area may be wrongfully assuming “the cart is before the horse,” as it were. How important is the…
Retailers Ready to Rumble Over Prices
If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a couple of dozen times. If gas was the reason manufacturer prices went up in 2008, retailers and wholesalers are wondering why…
Dark Anchors Threaten Malls
With tons of stores expected to close in the downturn, the biggest challenge to either regional or strip malls is the closing of anchor locations. What repercussions will the expected…
Family Dollar Sees Opportunity in Food Stamps
Family Dollar has found a niche serving lower income consumers. Now the chain is looking to speed up its rollout of the company’s “store of the future” so it can…
Store Planners Try to Lead Shoppers
Supermarket planners are so well versed in persuading people to buy things that stores often look alike. An article in The Economist examines some of the thinking behind the planning…
RSR Research: Collaboration – Now More Than Ever
There have been many inhibitors to collaboration between retailers and their partners – technical, attitudinal and philosophical. But as assortments grow larger and more complex and companies spread their networks…
Ronco Now Available in Stores
Ronco, the company that introduced you to the Veg-o-Matic, the Pocket Fisherman and many other products “not available in stores” via infomercials dating back to the 1950s, is now looking…
Consumers Return to Zappos
Zappos has used a no-questions-asked return policy to set itself apart from competitors in shoe retailing and remains committed to its approach even as many others are tightening their own…
Toledo Retailers Accept Competitor’s Gift Cards
Culture Clash, a Toledo, Ohio store that sells CDs and records, is accepting gift cards of other retailers on a dollar-for-dollar basis, according to the Toledo Blade. Toledo’s Appliance Center…
Weis Price Freeze Creates a Buzz
Weis Markets’ recent announcement it was “freezing” prices on 2,400 items has brought it national attention, highlighting the chain’s move at a time when consumers are struggling with the effects…
‘Foodies’ Defined and Desirable
According to a study from Packaged Facts (PF), “foodies” represent 14.4 percent of the U.S. population and are early adopters/influencers of not only food but other cultural trends such as…
Former Nash Finch CEO Takes Over at Borders
Some believed that George Jones was on the right track with changes he was implementing at Borders Group. Others clearly were not satisfied with the pace of change. As of…
Smart Customer Service Cutbacks
While companies may be forced to reduce spending in customer-centric areas during difficult times, there are ways to cut costs without reducing customer service levels, asserts an article in The…
