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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Family Leave Law Tweaks Considered
No one, publicly at least, is calling for the federal family leave law to be scrapped, but business owners and regulators believe some changes are needed to make it work…
Sam’s $560,000 Pendant: Will Anyone Buy It?
Whether the idea is to send a message that it can offer merchandise on par with the more upscale Costco, simply draw attention to its new line of colored diamonds…
Wash Your Hands, Please
At retail, it’s clear that employees need to wash their hands, especially those involved in food handling, preparation, and serving. But, besides “Employees must wash hands before leaving restroom” signs,…
Mom and Pop Go to the Mall
Big box stores are not the only new type of tenants taking space in malls around the country. According to a report in the Detroit News, many small retailers lured…
A Business to Die-For
Costco thinks there’s money to be made in dying. Go to the warehouse club’s Web site and scroll down the product categories for sale listings until you come to the…
The Skinny on Obesity Discrimination at Retail
Recent research suggests that the oft-used expression may need to be amended to: “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you. They just might not realize…
Nike Says No Thanks to Sears
Nike has decided to pull its products from Sears in what many believe is the manufacturer’s move to prevent its branded products winding up in Kmart stores. What do you…
Krispy Kreme Plan Filled With Holes
It was a scene that played out over and over again. A new Krispy Kreme would open to great fanfare and big crowds. But, what happened after the television cameras…
See Dick and Jane Sleep, Work, Watch and Buy
Based on numbers from the American Time Use Survey put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans, on average, spend more time sleeping than engaged in any other activity…
Don’t Do It Mr. Greenspan
While many, if not most, economists support the Fed’s action to date, USA Today reports that some are beginning to wonder if Mr. Greenspan and associates need to be as…
Luxury – A Deal at $5 Billion
The cost of luxury is quite high – precisely $5 billion. That’s what it cost the equity firms of Warburg Pincus and Texas Pacific Group to buy the luxury retailer…
National Sales Tax – Fair or Foul
The Americans for Fair Taxation want to get rid of the Internal Revenue Service. The group advocates what it calls the FairTax plan which would eliminate the need for the…
Health and Loyalty
According to a recent poll conducted for Target Stores, 60 percent of prescription-drug users have taken medication incorrectly. Target introduced a new design for prescription bottles on May 1. Why…
Retail as a Career
A fine art print entitled Born for Retail says: “Has always had the soul of an artist, but the instincts of an attack dog, so of course he went into…
Mall-Mart
Just as mall-based retailers such as J.C. Penney and Sears are increasingly looking to build standalone stores, others that have traditionally done business in freestanding locations are opening new units…
Empowerment — Fuhgetaboutit
It’s one of those words you hear all the time from executives and employee motivation gurus — empowerment. The idea behind the word is simple. Give employees the authority to…
Ford Develops Pickup for Latino Market
Ford is bringing its F-150 limited edition Lobo pickup truck, made in Mexico, north of the border to sell in Texas. The Lobo is, according to AdAge.com, “the first vehicle…
Beyond Bubba
Convenience stores once were the place to gas up, and buy smokes and beer. They were a Bubba paradise. But today’s convenience stores are broadening their offerings to appeal to…
The New World Order
Add Mandarin Chinese to the list of languages being taught to kids in schools today. “China is becoming the world’s largest economy, and with one-quarter of the world’s population,…
Grocers Look to Gas Up Business
Shop ‘n Save is the latest seller of groceries to announce it is installing gas pumps on its premises to drive traffic in its stores. The Pittsburgh-area supermarket chain expects…
Sears Holdings Sorts Out Employee Situation
It’s not a surprise, but Sears Holdings Corp. is deciding which of the 4,000 employees at Sears’ headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Ill. and the 2,000 at Kmart’s offices in Troy,…
