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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Bookseller Introduces Item Level RFID in Stores
The largest bookseller in the Netherlands is done testing radio frequency identification (RFID) in its stores. Selexyz (formerly Boekhandels Groep Nederland) had decided that it is time to roll out…
Retailers Get Organized for the Holidays
Sharply reduced prices, free shipping, one-of-a-kind gifts, remodeled stores, self-serve technology and helpful employees are just some of the means retailers intend to use this holiday season to get consumers…
Wal-Mart is Slowing Down
Wal-Mart is looking to slow down the rate of its capital expenditures and that means it will build fewer new stores in the coming years. The company’s CFO Tom…
Guilty Pleas Entered in Coke Case
Two men who stole trade secrets from Coca-Cola and sought to sell them to Pepsi have pleaded guilty in the case. They were charged along with another former Coke…
BrainTrust Query: Do brick and mortar retailers really want to make online shopping succeed?
Bill Bittner has been doing some work with an online retailer and it has made him wonder if brick and mortar retailers that have online stores really want to make…
Columnist: Dollar Stores Worth a Look
A columnist with the Morning Call of Allentown, PA, says consumers who have not checked out dollar stores recently or at all are missing out. Stores are not the…
Debating How Best to Protect Nation’s Food Supply
An editorial in The New York Times says it is time for a single agency to be responsible for the safety of the nation’s food supply. The paper argues that…
Town Calls for Crackdown on Runaway Carts
Many of the residents in communities around the Australian town of Redland have had it with shopping carts taken from store lots and dumped on the side of the road,…
Cheap Sneakers Look to Run Past Pricier Competitors
Jump back. You don’t have to wear sneakers over $100 to perform on – or off – the court anymore. Today, retailers such as Payless ShoeSource, Steve & Barry’s University…
FDA Isn’t Cloning Around with Meat and Milk
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday it is moving closer to approving the sale of meat and milk from cloned farm animals in grocery stores. …
Wal-Mart Rolls Back Toy Prices to Roll Over Competitors
In the movie Conan the Barbarian, the lead character is asked, “What is best in life?” His answer is: “To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you.” Perhaps…
Cosmetics: Can the Potential Be Realized?
Cosmetics can be an alluring category. The department drives traffic and offers attractive margins. But if supermarkets want to hold on to a piece of this pie, they will have…
GHQ: Catering to Kids
While there has been no shortage of media attention devoted to the rising obesity rates plaguing Americans, many people have overlooked a key segment within this dangerously overweight demographic -…
Will Educated Consumers Shop at RadioShack?
Bob Kilinski, RadioShack’s vice president of marketing, said, the retailer’s mission is “to help people get the most out of technology in every neighborhood in America.” Now, the consumer electronics…
Time is On 7-Eleven’s and White Sox’ Side
Last week, the team and the 7-Eleven convenience store chain announced a deal that would have the White Sox begin their evening home games at 7:11 instead of 7:05. In…
Nice Guys Finish First
Have you noticed people you work with getting nicer lately? According to a report by the Christian Science Monitor, there is a cultural shift taking place in American business…
Consumers Headed to Department Stores for the Holidays
Department stores are “in” for the holidays. According to a new BIGresearch study conducted for the National Retail Federation, an increasing number of consumers say they will be headed to…
Birds of a Feather Work Together
Forget about opposites attracting. When it comes to the workplace and the social aspects of our daily lives, we seek out others who share similar views and/or status to our…
The Future Will Be Different
At the recent National Grocers Association’s (NGA) Executive Conference, Andrew Zoli, who is futurist in-residence for Popular Science and American Demographics magazines, outlined a future full of opportunity and complexity…
BrainTrust Query: When (if ever) are ‘web exclusives’ a wise strategy for multi-channel retailers?
Multi-channel integration is increasingly recognized as a desired goal for retailers with stores and web sites. But, according to a Gartner report, only one-fourth of multi-channel retailers fully coordinate their…
BraintTrust Query: How will a younger generation of headquarters executives and older store-level workers change the face of retailing?
Most of our discussions on RetailWire about baby boomers address ways in which to sell to them. Meanwhile, many corporate executives are probably part of that demographic and starting to…
