RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Giant, UFCW Lobby for ‘Wal-Mart’ Health Bill
Call them strange bedfellows, but Ahold’s Giant Food chain and the union that represents its workers, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), are on the same side in supporting…
Sarbanes Oxley: No Accounting for ‘Computer Errors’
Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley legislation, which requires management to attest to adequacy of internal controls, will come under discussion in an SEC roundtable scheduled for April 13th. The…
Consumers Gas Up and Go Shopping
The price consumers are paying at the pump has reached record levels, but at least until now, it doesn’t appear to have had a significant impact on retail spending. The…
Dress Coding For Success
With employee dress codes becoming less stringent in order to accommodate personal preferences, companies may risk tarnishing their image, alienating customers and potentially seeing a decrease in sales. In light…
Editorial: Gun Dealers Should Be Held Responsible
An editorial in the Christian Science Monitor says Congress should vote against pending legislation “that would grant broad immunity from liability in civil lawsuits to gun manufacturers and dealers.” Should…
Wal-Mart Hopes to Educate Press
Wal-Mart is hoping that after two days at the company’s first ever media summit that journalists will walk away more educated about the retailer and its way of doing business…
Safeway to Spend $100 Million in Re-branding Effort
Safeway, the nation’s third largest grocery store chain, is launching a $100 million marketing campaign with the slogan “Ingredients for Life” to reposition itself as a more upscale market with…
Castagna Will Try and Turn Mervyn’s Around
With the announcement last week that Vanessa Castagna, the former chief executive of JCPenney’s stores, catalog and Internet businesses, is taking over as chairwoman at Mervyn’s, there is hope the…
Fixing Common Management Mistakes
Ann Hawley Stevens, managing partner with the ClearRock executive coaching and outplacement firm, told The Associated Press there are five common mistakes managers make today that can be easily corrected…
Sony Settles for Less than Pixel Perfect Customer Loyalty
CNET.com, has an interesting piece on Sony’s handling of an apparent glitch with the new Sony Playstation Portable (PSP). Rather than step up to the plate and make sure early…
What’s Up (Or Not) at Wal-Mart?
There is something that all those who believe Wal-Mart is predestined to take over the world should consider. The chain, say industry experts, is not doing as well as is…
Sears Takes Over Where Penney Told Designer to Get Off
In marketing financial products, investors are always advised that past performance is not an indicator of future results. Past performance was clearly not an impediment for Sears Holdings as it…
Senior Moments: Marketing to Older Shoppers
In a presentation at the ACNielsen Consumer 360 Conference, ACNielsen Senior VP Todd Hale (and RetailWire BrainTrust panelist) said there are opportunities for retailers and suppliers to better market to…
Mayor Asks Stores to Stop Selling Gangsta Garb
Success in retailing is all about catering to the needs of your customers, but in San Jose, Cal., the mayor and others within the community think local stores and Internet…
Saks For Sale
Saks Inc. has reportedly put its 241 regional department stores, including Carson Pirie Scott, McRae’s, Proffitt’s and Parisian, up for sale. The retailer is also said to be willing to…
Top Court Rules On Age Bias Case
By a 5-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that age bias against workers over 40 is illegal under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, even if it is…
Are Grocery Chains More Competitive?
In every negotiation in recent years with the locals of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in markets around the U.S., management at Albertsons, Kroger and Safeway have argued that…
They’re Good Kids
For all the grousing about the behavior of today’s kids, particularly teenagers, it turns out that they may be turning out better than we did. According to a report from…
It’s a Man’s World
Let’s face it. We men have been getting bashed for years. But finally we are getting the respect we deserve. A just published study from Packaged Facts, The U.S Men’s…
Lamperts Looking to Real Estate
This particular story has nothing to do with Sears, Kmart or Edward Lampert. According to a report in The Business Journal of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lamperts is an expanding…
Saks Focuses on Better Customer Experience
Saks Fifth Avenue chief executive Fred Wilson is hoping to reinvigorate the upscale department store chain with “better informed staff, more risk-taking in buying, less cluttered stores and, most importantly,…
