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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Real Men Give/Get Greeting Cards
Women in the U.S. spend a lot of time picking out just the right greeting cards for family and friends. But Lisa Collins, co-owner of Nutz & Boltz Card Company,…
Retailers Try Again to Sell at Full Margin
Some may occasionally sell product at full retail, but it is becoming increasingly rare for merchants, especially those in apparel, to turn inventory without discounting it first, and the number…
Shopping for Frequent Flier Points
Want to take that trip to Hawaii? Go shopping. A growing number of airlines and hotels are joining with retailers in online shopping malls to reward consumers with frequent-flier miles…
Channel Picture Gets Blurry with Big Screen TVs
It’s a well established fact that the blurring of channels has continued to spread as products that once were controlled by one or two channels have begun popping up for…
Weight Loss/Health Clinic to Open in Rite Aid
The current “thing” for in-store services are medical clinics. Perhaps it is not too soon to start asking what stores with clinics will do in the not too distant future…
Chain Takes Shots at Competitor with Comparison Ads
Quiznos is looking to toast the competition with ads that draw a direct comparison between its menu offerings and those of the competition, specifically Subway. The campaign, which Quiznos…
Wal-Mart Rocks Retail Pharmacy Biz with $4 Generics
You’ve heard this one before so go ahead and fill in the blanks. Wal-Mart drops prices out of the _____ category and the competition gets buried in the process. …
Retailers Tickled Pink Over Elmo’s Return
Elmo’s back and retailers are tickled pink over the prospects of stocking what promises to be one of the hottest selling toys of the holiday season. T.M.X. (the X…
eBay Sued Over Counterfeit Handbags
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton is tired of counterfeiters getting rich knocking off its brands and it wants eBay to do something about it. According to a lawsuit filed by…
With the Advent of In-Store Clinics, is Whole Health Finally Coming of Age?
When AOL founder Steve Case plunks his millions into a business concept, the market tends to take notice. So will Case’s development of RediClinic impact how Americans connect to their…
Spending Doesn’t Bring Better Healthcare
A study conducted by the Commonwealth Fund suggests that perhaps the healthcare debate taking place within the retail industry may be missing the point. The problem with the American healthcare…
Tesco Plans Covert Operation in America
Everyone knows Tesco is coming to the U.S. with a new small store format. Just what shape it will take is a bit of a mystery as the only store…
A Retailer Not Named Wal-Mart Brings Low Prices to Chicago
Kids love the sneakers and clothes it sells. Parents love knowing that those very shoes (most sold for $10 or less) and clothes are often priced lower than comparable items…
Blogger is Target of Retailer’s Ire and Lawsuit
“John Doe” has a big, blogging mouth and Target is not happy about it. So unhappy, in fact, the company is trying to track him down to quiet him with…
Nardelli’s Compensation Under Review
Ongoing complaints by Home Depot shareholders and poor ratings by watchdog groups may finally be pressuring Home Depot’s compensation review committee to make changes in the way Chairman and Chief…
Saks Says Its Efforts Were Wasted on the Young
As “Step One in a multistep process” to turn around the luxury department store chain, Saks is re-tailoring its offerings to appeal to the older, more affluent clientele that has…
Warnings Failed to Stop Spinach E. coli Outbreak
Distribution of E. coli-contaminated produce continues in the U.S. despite all the attention the problem has received in the last 10 years. And, according to a report in the San…
Stop and Smell the Greenbacks
The sweet smell of success has taken on a whole new meaning. Retailers are increasingly turning to enjoyable scents, pumped into stores, to make shoppers comfortable and more willing…
BrainTrust Query: Is Wal-Mart’s new housewares line a case of ‘me too’ merchandising?
Wal-Mart Stores announced on Thursday that it had signed an exclusive deal with celebrity “lifestyle and design expert” Colin Cowie for a holiday home collection. Apparently, Wal-Mart has decided…
CSD Cover Story: Sheetz Continues Reinventing Convenience
When it comes to delivering quality and value, few chains are as highly regarded as Sheetz. The chain has long been admired for its superiority in innovation and its diligent…
Layaway Goes Away at Wal-Mart
A RetailWire poll in November 2005 asked respondents if layaway programs provided a competitive advantage and nearly three out of four replied “yes.”. In the article preceding the poll, Wal-Mart…
