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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Mall Kiosks Offer Teeth Cleaning and More
Since their inception in the eighties, mall kiosks have sold everything from candles to cell phones to real estate. But now they’re increasingly moving into personal care services. What do…
GHQ: Smoky Mountain Majesty
Residents in the Tri-Cities area straddling Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky have a taste for blackberries…good old-fashioned blackberries – sweet, juicy, jet-black and the size of your thumb. Danny Shelton grows…
In Pursuit of the Next Megabrand
Steve Hughes knows something about creating a megabrand. Fortune credits him with spearheading the launch of ConAgra’s Healthy Choice line. Within four years of its initial rollout, the brand’s sales…
Dick’s CEO Sees Opportunity in Tough Times
Being a “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” sort of person, chief executive Edward Stack of Dick’s Sporting Goods can see that sales at the chain’s stores…
Zappos Pays Employees to Quit
Zappos has launched a program–known to Zappos’ veterans as “the offer”– that pays new employees $1,500 to quit the company during initial training sessions. The policy is designed to make…
Latino Leaders Say ‘No’ to Amigo Stores
Retail developers in the Los Angeles area are learning a valuable lesson from people like Manual Lozano, mayor of Baldwin Park. The lesson is that while it’s important to target…
Study: Private Label Dollar Growth Misleading
National brands may have less to worry about when it comes to private label than previously thought. New research conducted by The Nielsen Company (a RetailWire sponsor) shows that while…
CPGmatters: Kellogg Touts Collaboration to Optimize Shelf Prices
Retailers considering any new pricing approach ought to first develop a clear strategic pricing plan with CPG suppliers before making dramatic changes. High-low retailers often surrender profits unnecessarily when they…
The Boomers You Don’t Know
An article on the Stores magazine website, Five Things You Don’t Know About Baby Boomers, suggests that retail marketers need to take a new open-eyed look and approach to communicating…
FedEx Cans Kinko’s Name
There’s no doubt that FedEx knows shipping. What it apparently doesn’t know is the office services and supplies business as evidenced by its experience with Kinko’s. The business has languished…
Hartmarx Deals with Change
Hartmarx Corp., the owner of Hickey-Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx, has continually reinvented itself during difficult times over its 129-year history. But Homi Patel, the company’s long-time CEO, says the…
Best Buy Goes to the Mall to Reach Younger Consumers
Best Buy Canada is going to the mall to open smaller outlets offering cell phones and the other wireless gadgets that it expects will bring younger consumers into stores. The…
Hydrox Makes a Comeback
Bowing to more than 1,300 phone inquiries, an online petition delivering more than 1,000 signatures and internet chat sites lamenting the demise of the snack, Kellogg Co. has decided to…
Wal-Mart Debuts New Free Classified Service Online
Walmart.com has launched a beta test of a free online classified ad service in conjunction with Oodle.com that offers the promise of exposing the retailer to a group of consumers…
British Men Less Interested in Grooming
Mintel’s recent survey of men and their skincare purchases has revealed that only 35 percent of those in Britain believe it is important to remain young-looking. This compares to 55…
Ready-to-Wear, Restaurants Recast Lifestyle Centers
Lifestyle centers are increasingly distinguishing themselves from traditional malls by putting more emphasis on women’s apparel stores and restaurants, according to an ICSC study of nearly 80 U.S. lifestyle centers…
R&FF Retailer: As Costs Rise, What About Your Pricing?
Yes, private label and less expensive lines can be expected to outperform their counterparts in inflationary times, but – all else being equal – this shouldn’t lead you to significantly…
Court Puts Free Speech Before Property Rights
Count one for free speech and one against property rights in California. By a 4-3 margin, that state’s Supreme Court ruled that labor union protestors had the right to go…
Mobile Device Users Want More and More
While some consumers vex about all the complex gadgetry on their cell phones, an IBM survey found 80 percent of consumers are looking for more applications and services – not…
Rachel Ray: International Terrorist
It turns out that fact really is scarier than fiction. The latest case in point is Dunkin’ Donuts decision to pull an online ad promoting the chain’s ice coffee and…
Boat Sales Sinking
Recreational boat manufacturers have found it tough going as they seek to navigate through choppy economic waters. Some are simply doing the best they can to keep afloat even if…
