RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Employee Discount Fever
General Motors’ “employee discount for everyone” campaign has worked well enough (sales up 41 percent in June) that Ford and Chrysler are starting similar programs of their own. This development,…
Trader Joe’s and Creating the Ultimate Branding Model
The business has been abuzz over Trader Joe’s for some time, but it is only by chance that Bill Bittner had the opportunity to visit one as he was driving…
McD’s Wants Uniform Image
McDonald’s believes changes it has made to its menu, restaurants and advertising has helped it move up on the public perception hip meter. Now, reports Ad Age, the company is…
The Hispanic Television Wars
A ceasefire was announced last month to a war that is being fought on American soil…a war about Nielsen’s deployment of a new technology for measuring television viewership — Local…
Taking the Super Out of Kmart
The decision by management to close three Super Kmarts in the Memphis, Tenn. market has increased speculation that the chain and its Sears Holdings parent intends to get out of…
HEB, Sysco Drive Eco-Friendly Initiative
H.E. Butt and Sysco are looking to make breathing a little easier for residents of Houston. The Texas city’s air quality standards fall below those set by the EPA so…
Labor Schism Widens
A fight is taking place over the future direction of national organized labor. At the heart of the matter is a fractious disagreement over how to reverse the decline in…
Boom, Boom, Goes the Retail Business
The retail business, as they say, is booming. Retailers across the nation are expected to post monthly and quarterly sales results this week, and some analysts are looking for better…
We’re Not Playin’ – Amazon’s the Low Price Leader
When it comes to video games, consumers will not find the lowest price at Wal-Mart or even Target. No, those retailers and Best Buy, Circuit City and Toys R Us…
Loyalty on the Job and in the Market Basket
In his Cubicle Culture column earlier in the week, Jared Sandberg of The Wall Street Journal looked at the problems that can arise in the homes and workplaces of people…
Home Depot Supplies Everything for Job Sites
If you’re going to work on a construction job in the Nashville, Tenn. area, Home Depot has everything you need — tools, lumber, paint, lighting, gasoline and beer. Beer? The…
The Reality of Consumer Perception
Manufacturers and retailers know, while sometimes frustrating, consumer perception is the reality of their business. The results of a new study conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for General…
Consumers Losing Confidence in Online Security
An increase in phishing attacks and breaches of security of online sites has made consumers increasingly wary about conducting personal business online. According to the results of a survey conducted…
Instant Companies
The Business 2.0 guide to The New Instant Companies describes how a product idea can be taken from conception through production and into promotion in three quick steps. This allows…
Consumers Consider the Alternative…Formats
A report from Retail Forward, Food Channel Industry Outlook, says “alternative formats” will capture most of the increase in consumer spending on food-at-home sales in the years ahead, and that…
A&P Gets Out of Self-Distribution Model
A&P has reached a deal to turn over distribution in the U.S. to C&S Wholesale Grocers. Last month, A&P announced plans to focus on its retail business in the Northeast…
Are Hispanics Raising the “Customer Service” Bar?
In a conference presentation this month, IPSOS, a marketing services company “confirmed” that, compared to non-Hispanics, customers of Hispanic descent are more avid and passionate in their relationships with brands…
Drive-Offs Increase With Gas Prices
One of the unfortunate effects of higher prices at the pump is that a growing number of people who stop at gas stations to fill up their tanks are driving…
Getting the Most from Your Data Warehouse
Many retailers have spent considerable time and effort installing Data Warehouses, but it is hard to avoid “getting lost in the trees.” There’s so much detail about each item sold,…
Dealers Say Sears Looking to Put Them Out of Business
Dealers who operate independent Sears stores around the country say that when they signed on with the retail chain, it promised “it would keep them in business for life.” That…
Competition and Consolidation Reduce Grocery Jobs
There are fewer grocery store jobs to go around in the Carolinas. That is the conclusion of an article in The Charlotte Observer. In North Carolina, the number of employees…
