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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Tops CEO Takes a Local Approach to Growth
Now that Morgan Stanley Private Equity has closed its deal to acquire the Tops Markets chain from Ahold, the question becomes, “What’s next?” What do you expect from Tops Markets…
Stores Get Cozy for Holiday Selling
Visual merchandising has taken a turn for the comfortable this holiday season as stores attempt to help put shoppers more at ease and into a state where they’ll be more…
CPGmatters: How are illegal “coupon trains” hurting CPG brands?
More consumers are hopping on the “coupon train,” an increasingly popular way for them to share coupons distributed in different parts of the country. The problem is that such a…
Marketing to Green Buyers
According to study released by Experian Local Market Services, only a small segment of green consumers, known as Behavioral Greens, are likely to spend the extra cash on environmentally-friendly products…
Tweens Are Going Mobile
A large number of tweens, kids between the ages of eight and 12, own mobile phones and make extensive use of them for social interactions, according to a new report…
BrainTrust Query: Can a supermarket do without a weekly ad circular?
“How many decide where to shop based on the prices in a traditional supermarket circular? Is it possible to get the same or better results with an in-store flyer? Or…
Study: Online Grocers Not So Fresh
No one ever said it would be easy. Supermarkets in the U.K. deliver virtually everything a customer can find in-store through their websites. But not everything that is selected and…
Helping Consumers Discover RFID’s Benefits
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has the potential to transform consumers’ lives for the positive. That is the message of the Discover RFID website created by the GS1 subsidiary EPCglobal…
Facebook Riles Privacy Advocates
Thousands of Facebook users were shocked in recent weeks to find their online purchases were revealed to their friends. The social networking site has since softened its new advertising feature,…
CPG 2008
Datamonitor has taken a look ahead and published a list of 10 trends it expects will have a major impact on consumer packaged goods (CPG) in 2008. Which trends do…
Consumers Fed Up With Lack of Service
What does it take to get some service around here? That’s a question that many, if not most, consumers have asked in exasperation while in shopping situations. A new…
Shopocalypse, The Movie
While consumers across the country flocked to malls this past Black Friday, “What Would Jesus Buy?,” an anti-consumerism movie, hit the theaters in limited release. Described as a “docu-comedy,” it…
In-Store Clinics Lay Claim to Convenience Niche
The assumption that in-store medical clinics would work best in areas where consumers were lacking both financial resources and health insurance is being seriously challenged by the experience of RediClinic…
Web Brainstorming for New Product Ideas
Citizen journalism, blogs, Wikipedia and consumer-generated entertainment are just the beginning. Now anyone with a computer can vote on new product development suggestions or suggest their own and try to…
CIOs Reporting for Duty
According to an InformationWeek blog by Chris Murphy, there is a concern among technology executives that an increase in the numbers of CIOs reporting to chief financial officers rather than…
McD’s Sticking to Breakfast Schedule
For as long as restaurants have set limits on what time breakfast items can be served, there have been consumers wishing it were otherwise. That is why so many ears…
Indiaretailing.com: Ethical fashion! Does it exist?
Retail is flourishing, but is it carrying forward the ethicality of the business of fashion retailing, not just to give the world better clothes to wear – but also make…
Trade Partners: Communication Breakdown
An informal, confidential survey of top execs at 18 large and small sporting goods chains by Sporting Goods Business found that while competitive issues such as product allocation are a…
Supermarkets Downsizing
The traditional grocer is back. That is the belief of some industry watchers who point to anecdotal and quantitative data showing Americans, especially those 50+, are tired of trekking around…
Where Go the Unwanted Meds?
Americans take a lot of medications and, in many cases, find they have leftovers after their various ailments have ceased to be a problem. The question then becomes what to…
StorefrontBacktalk.com: A Gift Card Security Seal?
A major gift card exchange site has launched an unusual gift card program that guarantees all exchange transactions. The Plastic Jungle guarantee plan is done by insisting that card sellers…
