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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Give Shoppers Online Information to Gain Offline Sales
Internetretailer.com reports on the latest American Interactive Consumer Survey done by The Dieringer Group on shopper use of the Internet and consumer spending habits. “The data confirm that the Internet’s…
A&F to Boycott Australian Wool
Abercrombie & Fitch is no stranger to controversy, but the retail clothing chain has decided to sidestep one regarding the handling of Australian sheep with an announcement the it would…
Sweetbay to Try and Build Loyalty Without a Card
Sweetbay, Kash n’ Karry’s new supermarket banner, has said it will not offer a loyalty card to customers. The decision to forego a card program was made because of the…
No Store, No Union
What good is a labor union to workers if the store they work in closes? That is the not so subtle question a Wal-Mart spokesperson put to employees at the…
Starbucks Comes Up With Another New Drink
Starbucks is hoping to hit gold again with it newest new thing, a non-coffee drink named after an Aztec goddess and described as a drinkable dessert. Why has Starbucks been…
Best Buy’s Customer Centricity Experiment
To its critics, the notion that Best Buy has found a way to become a customer centric organization is, to put it less than politely, laughable. But, critics or not,…
Setting the Standards: Is Patience a Virtue?
For years, the members of the retail supply chain have worked on technical standards ranging from Bar Codes (a huge success), to EDI, CPFR and now, ebXML and RFID. Are…
Record Labels Getting Squeezed by Wal-Mart
Record label executives are unhappy about the pressure being put on them by Wal-Mart to lower prices on CDs but none of them wants to go on the record for…
Time To Deal With RFID Concerns Is Now
A report released last week by the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), Radio Frequency Identification: Little Devices Making Big Waves, says RFID technology has the potential to deliver numerous benefits in…
Swaying the Hispanic Vote – Integrated Hispanic Marketing at Its Best
A recent article in Marketing to Emerging Majorities challenges marketers who are still hemming and hawing about whether or not Hispanics represent a strong enough market to warrant significant ad…
Dollar Store Exec Joins Wal-Mart to Direct HR Strategy
Wal-Mart Stores announced yesterday that former Dollar General president and chief operating officer, Lawrence Jackson, is joining the company as its new executive vice president of the retailer’s People Division…
Work Places Staying Casual
Those who were pleased with Target’s decision to require more formal attire in the workplace and were hoping it was the beginning of a trend are likely to be disappointed…
Flu Bug To Hit Businesses Where It Hurts
Typically, in recent years, five to 20 percent of the U.S. population has gotten the flu. This year, however, is promising to be anything but typical after the availability of…
Americans Think Buying Rx Online is Risky Business
A San Jose Mercury News article points out that, while Americans are quite comfortable handling a wide variety of transaction online, most view ordering prescriptions online as risky business. Will…
How Would You Build a Loyalty Program?
According to Colloquy.com, number two consumer electronics chain Circuit City is planning to launch a loyalty program. The details of Circuit City’s new customer loyalty program may already be public…
Did the Chains Strike Out in SoCal?
When the Southern California grocery workers’ strike/lockout finally ended earlier this year, it was generally agreed that the chains had won the fight after squeezing wage and health benefit concessions…
Sears to Give Stores Multicultural Makeover
Sears announced yesterday it plans to revamp 97 of its full-line stores this month as part of a pilot project to determine how it can better appeal to the minority…
Consumers Want Workers Redeployed to Improve Service
An IDC white paper, Self-Checkout Systems: Creating Value Across the Retail Store, says self-checkouts are freeing up store employees to fill valuable customer-service roles in other parts of the store…
Report: Prepare for RFID Failure
A report by Gartner Inc., Prepare for Disillusionment with RFID, says at least half of all the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology projects currently underway will fail. Jeff Woods,…
Another Magazine Published For Wal-Mart Customers
American Media plans to publish a new magazine, Looking Good Now, exclusively for distribution in Wal-Mart stores beginning in January, reports the New York Daily News. Are the exclusive deals…
Consumers Find Penney’s Off-mall Concept On Target
The consumer reviews are coming in and by a Detroit Free Press account, at least, they are positive for JCPenney’s new off-mall store concept. Is JCPenney on track with its…
