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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Publisher Rubs Apple the Wrong Way
Steve Jobs of Apple Computer is not at all happy about an unauthorized, albeit largely flattering biography, being published by John Wiley & Sons. This unhappiness led Apple to remove…
Make Wednesday Wendy’s Day
Now that Anna Ayala’s litigious history has been revealed, and she has been arrested and charged with attempted grand larceny, Wendy’s may finally be able to put the finger found…
Group Says Consumers Fed Diet of Obesity Hype
The Center for Consumer Freedom, a group representing restaurants and food manufacturers, has launched an advertising campaign accusing the government, medical authorities, trial lawyers and the “food police” of distorting…
Online Exchanges to Merge
While there’s no question GlobatNetXchange (GNX) and WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE) have had an effect on how information is shared amongst trading partners and how product is moved through the…
Getting Tough on Shopping Cart Crime
City officials in Rialto, Cal. want shopping cart thieves to know that crime doesn’t pay, but it sure can cost you if you’re caught with a store’s property off the…
Living in a DIY World
According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, Americans are getting a little sick and tired of self-serve while filling up their gas tanks, banking or checking out at the…
To Market for Loyalty, Choose Message Over Media
According to the 2005 Yankelovich Marketing Receptivity Survey, 55 percent of all consumers would be willing to pay a little extra to get only the kinds of marketing they prefer,…
Banking on Illegals
The Latin American immigrant population is growing quickly, yet it is a population that is largely unserved by financial institutions. According to most estimates, less than half of the 17.5…
Natural Gas Cars Hit the Road
Honda wants to clear the air. The company has been selling its natural gas vehicles to fleet operators for seven years and now, for the first time, it is offering…
Fair Trade Furniture, Guitars, etc., For Sale
You might not think the best way to preserve valuable old growth forest space would be to cut down trees but that’s exactly what is happening in places such as…
Food Pyramid Gets Kudos and Raspberries
When the USDA unveiled the new food pyramid, the agency touted the simplicity of the visual as necessary “to encourage consumers to make healthier food choices and to be active…
Who Has the Power?
In an opinion piece in Grocery Headquarters, Gary Giblen, senior vice president and director of research at CL King & Associates, writes that the combination of consolidation on the manufacturer…
Humans Need Not Apply
From a business standpoint, there is a lot to commend in the potential use of robotics. Robots don’t organize (at least not yet), they don’t require a salary or health…
Sears Looks for Broader Appeal With Latinas
Sears announced the introduction of a new clothing line called Latina Life. The product line will be available in 425 Sears stores in August. Latina Life is unique in that…
Costco Helps Bring Down High Cost of Healthcare
Patrick Callins, VP of member services for Costco, said the warehouse club leader isn’t looking “to be everything to everybody.” What it is looking for are “programs where we can…
Penney Chief Wants To Win Hearts, Minds and Wallets of Middle Class
In a meeting with Wall Street analysts, J.C. Penney chairman and chief executive Myron “Mike” Ullman said the retail chain is looking “to win the hearts and minds of middle-income…
Retailers Increase Email Marketing Activity
Research by Bigfoot Interactive indicates that retailers are finding email marketing to be both a cost effective and productive means to increase sales. Which retailers (online or multi-channel) do the…
Target’s Answer to National Meth Abuse Problem
Target has said that over the next two to three months it will pull all over-the-counter (OTC) remedies containing pseudoephedrine from its store shelves and move them behind the pharmacy…
A New Level of Window Shopping
The Economist magazine in their latest technology quarterly has shown the real purpose for a cell phone camera — shoppers can photograph barcodes on their intended purchases to gather and…
Martha Not Confined to Linens at Kmart
Martha Stewart is breaking out, so-to-speak. No, she hasn’t thrown off her tracking bracelet and fled house arrest to go cavorting around the Connecticut countryside. What she has done, along…
The Value of a Dollar Store-Within-a-Store
Dollar stores and dollar stores-within-a-store are popping up in all the expected places and some unexpected ones, as well. The president of the Tennessee Grocers Association, said dollar store-within-a-store sections…
