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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Office Supply Retailers Vie For Supremacy
The three leading office supply retailers in the U.S. began their early years staking out their territory in their respective home markets. Staples set up shop in the Northeast; Office…
UFCW Stares, Chains Not Blinking
Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 7 in Colorado unanimously rejected a two-tier wage proposal from Safeway similar to the one agreed to by union…
McD’s Wants Sit Down Business
There’s a reason those plastic chairs are so uncomfortable. Fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s are looking to get people in, serve them, and move them right back out the…
Combining Gift and Loyalty Cards
In the September issue of Integrated Solutions for Retailers magazine, Matt Pillar covers the benefits of plastic gift cards beyond simply replacing paper gift certificates. As Matt points out, gift…
Pepsico’s Shortcut to a Healthier Life
Pepsico has placed an emphasis on offering healthier products and now it wants to make it easier for consumers to identify those items with green “Smart Spot” stickers. The consumer…
Work Stinks
Has work got you feeling a little burned out? Are you working on tighter deadlines and putting in longer hours? Do your family and friends need to look at photos…
Former Canadian Rx Importer Goes Domestic
David Peoples, co-founder of Rx Depot, ran afoul of federal authorities last year over the importation of prescription medicines from Canada and his business was forced to close. Now he…
Gay Groups Not Happy About Home Depot’s Pet Insurance
Understanding that most Americans view their dogs and cats as members of the family, the do-it-yourself retailer began offering pet health insurance as an employee benefit in June. Kim Mills,…
Wal-Mart Changes Everything
According to the historian Nelson Lichtenstein, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Wal-Mart is the “business template” for the modern economy. “In each historical epoch a prototypical…
The Multi-million Dollar Question: What’s Your Low-carb Strategy?
A new report from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) says it is too early to write-off low-carb dieting as just another fad. Sales of naturally low-carb foods and beverages remain strong…
Best Buy Joins RFID Party
One of the biggest “objections” voiced about the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is the cost of the tags to track product. But with more retailers getting on…
Consumers: Best Values Found Online
A study by the Millard Group said consumers find they get the best value for their purchases when they make them online. More than half, 53 percent, said that online…
Mexican Manufacturers Following Customers North
The August 16th issue of the Economist Magazine observes, when it comes to the growing Mexican-American market in the U.S., “for the most part, American businesses have been oddly slow…
‘The Passion’ Comes To Retail
The controversy is still there but so are the sales. Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’ goes on sale in retail stores and online today with predictions the DVD…
Microsoft Wants To Take Bite Out of Apple’s Music Biz
Microsoft is hoping to leapfrog a competitor once again. The company, which has made a practice of entering markets such as personal computer operating systems and web browsers after others…
Rite Aid Chief Issues Call-To-Action
Mary Sammons, president and chief executive officer, Rite Aid, told attendees at the 2004 National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Pharmacy & Technology Conference in San Diego, CA, “this…
Steve Burd Unwavering on Cost-Cutting Stance
Millions of dollars lost in one strike/lockout and the potential for millions to be lost in future job actions doesn’t faze Safeway chairman and chief executive Steve Burd one bit…
0.4 Percent Change Means 1.3 Million More Living in Poverty
It’s common to hear announcers talk about the difference between success and failure in various sporting events as being a matter of inches. The same, it seems, can also be…
Do You Listen to Your Shoppers?
Staples and Office Depot are both deploying in-store kiosks. The major focus of these initiatives is to expand the selection of products available for sale to shoppers who visit a…
Starbucks’ Punished For Same-Store Sales Growth
The insanity that is Wall Street was on full display yesterday, although nary a white coat was to be seen, as Starbucks’s saw its share prices drop 6.5 percent on…
McD’s Chameleon Strategy
You’re going to have to start looking more closely to find a McDonald’s. No, the company isn’t reducing its restaurant count. It’s taking a new approach to how it builds…
