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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
The Rocket Science of Ethics
Marc Lampe is all business when it comes to a discussion about ethics. “More than ever before, unethical behavior has the potential to do tremendous harm to our world and…
Prof Wants Ibuprofen Pulled Off Store Shelves
A professor of pharmacy at the University of Tasmania says many of the problems that led to Vioxx being withdrawn from the market can be found in a popular anti-inflammatory…
Ross More or Less on a Roll
Ross Stores recent financial reports demonstrate that less can be more when it comes to both top and bottom line performance. The clothing retailer with 633 stores operating under the…
Evangelists Spur Loyalty
Gary Stein, analyst at Jupiter research, says customers who actively share information have an increased sense of brand loyalty and maintain it regardless of trends in the marketplace. Supporting that…
A-B Continues Big Game Dominance
When the discussion of dynasties comes up, there is always a debate often along generational lines on who was the strongest: Lombardi’s Packers, Chuck Noll’s Steelers, the Niners under Bill…
Marketechnics 2006: Technology and the shopping experience
The nature of retailers is that they want to sell stuff that appeals to customers and they want to sell it in a manner that appeals to customers. The Food…
Men Put Money Where Their Hearts Are
Research from the customer loyalty research consultancy Brand Keys shows that, when it comes to demonstrating love and affection in retail purchases, men are more romantic than women on Valentine’s…
GHQ Cover Story 2/06: Igniting a Hot Spot
Downtown Dallas used to be similar to a number of American cities. Once all the workers left for the day, it became something of a ghost town. While that was…
Trendy 2006
Understanding what’s about to be hot is often the difference between success and failure in the retailing arena, and Kenneth Hirst, president of the design firm Hirst Pacific, has some…
Going Back to New Orleans
The Rubensteins know exactly what Fats Domino was singing about when he recorded the classic Walkin’ to New Orleans. The family, which operates Rubensteins clothing store on Canal Street…
Suit Could Change Way eBay Does Business
A suit brought by Tiffany & Co. against eBay alleging it failed to take adequate steps to ensure counterfeit goods were not sold on its site could have profound impact…
Wawa’s McHugh Talks Success
Harry McHugh, senior vice president of operations for Wawa, says that innovation and a commitment to values will determine which companies thrive and those that fail to survive in the…
Amazon Looks to Download Consumer Dollars
A report in Variety says Amazon.com is getting ready to announce a new DVD download service that would allow consumers to buy and download programs and movies while waiting for…
Women Watch the Super Bowl, Too
Marketers, including Unilever and Anheuser-Busch, have decided that women have been overlooked for too long — at least during the Super Bowl, that is. The two consumer goods marketers have…
‘Field’s…Macy’s…Um No…Field’s’
Having announced that it would change the banner of its Marshall Field’s stores to Macy’s, Federated Department Stores has evidently taken a pause to reconsider its decision. According to…
Bodegas to Market Better Health
Kudos to New York commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Friednen for lining up bodega owners in the city to join in the health crusade against obesity and the effort to reduce…
Loyalty or Defense
In the pursuit of loyalty, lots of databases full of customer information have been created. An article by Jill Griffin on MarketingProfs.com suggests some ways to use that information to…
Safeway May Benefit From Albertsons’ Deal
Safeway has taken a fair amount of criticism over the years for its handling of chains it has acquired but, according to some, it may be the biggest beneficiary of…
Companies Prepare for Business Warfare
Oorah! Businesses are getting their workforce ready to do competitive battle with Marine-style training. One such company, Jack & Jill Ice Cream’s Food Service Division, wanted to train its…
Get Ready for the Culture Clash – Part 2
You can train employees of various cultural backgrounds on policies, procedures and corporate culture, but how that message is ultimately communicated and received can and does vary dramatically. Culture is…
Retailing in an Hourglass Economy
The distance between the have-alots and the have-nots in America continues to grow while those households that fall into the have-more-than-not group is up slightly, according to a report issued…
