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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
RadioShack Board Stands Behind CEO
RadioShack’s board doesn’t seem to care that its CEO lied about college degrees he said he received but did not. On Tuesday, the board issued a statement saying it “reaffirms…
Pharmacy Gets Out of Cigarette Business
Bayshore Pharmacy is all about health and, to prove it, the drugstore is walking away from the sale of 360 cartons of cigarettes a month. Pharmacist Richard Stryler, an ex-smoker…
Customers Pleasantly Surprised with Wal-Mart’s Changes
Wal-Mart’s research shows that many of the consumers who shop in its stores go there for the basics but take their business elsewhere when it comes to buying other categories,…
Elliott & Company Shares Secrets of Success
What is the difference between successful retail operations and those that fall by the wayside? The 2005 Canadian Gift and Tablewares Association’s (CGTA) Retailer of the Year, Elliott &…
Metro CEO Calls for Single RFID Standard
Hans-Joachim Korber, chairman and CEO of the Metro Group, is a radio frequency identification (RFID) prophet. Mr. Korber’s company has been out front in the testing and adoption of RFID…
Adidas Taking Reebok Back to its Performance Roots
Adidas-Solomon chairman and CEO Herbert Hainer said Reebok made its reputation as a performance brand and, now that his company has acquired the business, he intends to bring it back…
It’s All Inside the Big Red Virtual Box
J.C. Penney is determined to make consumers believe that it, whatever that may be, is really inside its stores. The department store chain is set to launch the largest branding…
What Makes an Independent Grocer Special?
Independent retailers have a very tough time beating mega-retailers on price, but they are more nimble and can use that in various ways to their advantage. How to draw consumers…
Stop, Thief!
Want an easy way to dramatically grow your profits at retail? It’s as simple as reducing your shrink, according to Larry Miller, president of Trax Retail Solutions, who gave a…
Target Creates Talent Pool for Others
Target has become a target, of sorts. Other companies looking to copy Target’s success have gone head hunting for executives from the Minneapolis-based retailer. Today, Target alumni hold senior management…
Learn from Loyalty Program Accidents
During a holiday promotion for members of its Sparkling Circle loyalty club, Moët Hennessy USA offered one of three “sparkling music mixes” for holiday entertaining. The offer wasn’t for a…
Boscov’s Looks to Grow Faster
The recent announcement that the family-owned chain Boscov’s had agreed to purchase 10 stores under the Kaufmann’s, Macy’s and Strawbridge’s banners from Federated Department Stores was totally out of character…
McD’s Fries: Great Taste, More Trans Fats
Improvements in food testing helped McDonald’s discover an unpleasant fact about the company’s famed French fries. They have one-third more trans fats than the company previously thought. The announcement by…
Consumers: Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt
Today’s twenty and thirty-somethings may no longer be working for the company store but they are certainly having their styles crimped by high levels of debt as many struggle to…
Wendy’s Doesn’t Like Decrease in Same-Store Sales
When you’re used to increasing same-store sales year after year, it comes as something as a shock to the system when you finally experience the opposite. That was the case…
Meijer Sends 81 Jobs to India/50 to Boston
Meijer has decided to outsource 131 jobs, with 81 information technology positions going to a firm in India and 50 call center jobs going to a contractor in Boston. The…
Tesco is Coming, Tesco is Coming
The British chain Tesco is finally coming to the U.S. The company announced it will finally make its long rumored entry into the American market with a convenience store…
New CEO Looks to Storch TRU’s Competition
Gerald Storch has a new job. The former vice chairman of Target is the new chairman and chief executive officer of Toys R Us. Mr. Storch, who has a reputation…
Amazon Searching for New Revenue Streams
Amazon.com plans to test a program that would place links to products on the retailer’s partner sites, similar to the system employed by Google. According to Chris Beasly, founder of…
Kiosk the Right Medicine for Busy Consumers
Fill ‘er up is about to take on a whole new meaning. A Giant Food store in Reston, Virginia is testing a self-service kiosk that will enable registered consumers…
The Name Game
A recent Consummate Consumer column in the Washington Post says shoppers in the D.C. area are less than happy about stores that have cashiers thank club and credit card customers…
