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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Loyalty in Parts
“At heart, it’s about enhancing the ownership experience, and keeping those customers in the GM camp.” That’s how Bryan Burkhardt, global director of retail inventory management for GM service and…
Competitors Confident Against Publix Sabor
When it comes to operating supermarkets, few companies do it better than Publix. So, when the company opened its first two Publix Sabor units targeted to Hispanic consumers, other businesses…
Privacy: How Quaint
In the “good old days,” consumer privacy issues were relegated to things like cutting up old credit cards, destroying receipts, and hoping the waiter didn’t write down your credit card…
Is America Ready for Wine Superstores?
In the Fort Lauderdale area, independent wine shops have long ceded the lion’s share of wine sales to big chains such as Publix and Costco. But Bacchus’ crown may soon…
Full Steam Ahead, Even If it Means Wal-Mart vs. Wal-Mart
“Growth, growth, growth” continues to be Wal-Mart’s mantra for success, even when expansion results in eating into its own sales, according to a Wall Street Journal piece by Kris Hudson…
Home Depot Tests Auto Supply Department
Home Depot has built its business on helping consumers fix up their homes and gardens, and now it is taking its DIY approach to the garage with a 10 store…
Americans in Denial About Weight
Americans know an overweight person when they see one, unless, of course, they happen to be looking in the mirror. A survey of adults in the U.S. by the Pew…
McDonald’s Getting Fried Over Trans Fats
A Danish research study of fast foods from around the world found that there were wide variations in the amount of trans fats in the same menu items, depending on…
Ross-Simons Reports Breach in Security
Ross-Simons, a multi-channel retailer of jewelry, tabletop, gifts and collectibles, has reported an external breach in its security that may have given unauthorized parties access to consumers’ personal and financial…
J.C. Penney Gives Sephora Store-Within-Store Space
J.C. Penney wants to become a destination for young female shoppers and its announcement that it will prominently feature a popular retail beauty brand at the center core of its…
High Gas Prices Hit Low-Income Consumers
High prices for home heating and gasoline were particularly hard on low-income consumers this winter, so projections that the price they will have to pay at the pump this summer…
Disabled Seek Work
Although the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination in hiring practices and the workplace, the percentage of disabled people with (and without) jobs has remained relatively flat since the bill…
Customer Service Put On Remote Control
A growing number of fast food operators are looking to speed up drive through times and reduce errors by using remote call centers to handle customer orders. A testament to…
The Politicization of Shopping
A large number of consumers of various political, religious and philosophical persuasions are choosing merchants and products based on their perceptions about the companies’ stand on various issues. According to…
Timing of BK CEO Switch Questioned
At least two experts on initial public offerings (IPO) find the timing of Greg Brenneman’s resignation as CEO of Burger King, at best, curious and, at worst, harmful, with the…
Hogs Are What They Eat
A Canadian company has found a way to sell a healthier ham. Prairie Orchard Farms of Winnipeg, Manitoba has found that, by giving its hogs feed rich in omega-3, it…
Education Drives Loyalty
It’s a brief technology-driven piece on an information kiosk. But if you read between the lines, there’s a lot more that should appeal to marketers. WineMiner LLC, a provider of…
Sears Captures Canadian Prize
Sears Holdings Corp. announced that its bid to take over Sears Canada has become a reality now that it has received sufficient commitments to push the deal through. According to…
Food Lion in Full Bloom in Nation’s Capital
Food Lion intends to convert forty locations in the Washington, D.C. area to its upscale Bloom store format this year. The stores make extensive use of technology, allowing consumers to…
Analyst: A&P Eyes Pathmark
CIBC World Markets analyst Perry Caicco believes A&P may be interested in making a bid for Pathmark Stores. Speculation over a possible deal between the two New Jersey-based supermarket…
Jobs and Co. Do Windows
Who’d a thunk it? Windows users will now be able to run their programs on Macintosh computers. Apple Computer, which has long positioned itself as the anti-Microsoft, rolled out a…
