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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Best Buy Makes House Calls
Best Buy’s chief executive, Brad Anderson, has said he wants to improve the customer experience for those shopping at the consumer electronics chain. Now, he’s ready to extend that experience…
Marketing Has Bad Rep
Consumers are feeling increasingly intruded on by marketing and advertising messages, and many are turning a deaf ear and blind eye to any attempt to influence their purchasing behavior. What…
Costco Dividend Plan Praised By Analysts
A report in the Seattle Times suggests Costco has bowed to pressure from Wall Street to be more “shareholder-friendly” by announcing it would pay a quarterly dividend of 10 cents…
What To Do When You’re Not The Category Captain
Seemingly, every supplier wants to be category captain in order to take the lead in working with retailers to optimize results in the category and ensure that their category management…
Half Of Recalled Meat Never Recovered
Authors of a newly published study that tracked the success of meat and poultry recalled between 1998 and 2002 say only half of the product was actually recovered and that…
It’s Time To Get Oil Monkey Off Our Back
A column by Scott Burns of the Universal Press Syndicate found on the Houston Chronicle’s Web site says history will judge our government and auto industry badly if a concerted…
Mixing Media: Spanish-Language Advertising and Hispanic Marketing
In two influential studies released last week, marketers who target the Hispanic market learned two things: one, Spanish-language advertising spending is not commensurate with the total size of the U.S…
Grocers: The Enemy Is Me
Smart grocers have stopped blaming Wal-Mart for all their troubles long enough to take a good look in the mirror and realize the real enemy is staring them straight in…
KFC Gets Roasted
Having unsuccessfully attempted to convince the consuming public and the Federal Trade Commission that fried chicken was the equivalent of health food, KFC is trying a less controversial approach this…
Kmart and Martha Make A Deal
As has been widely reported, Kmart and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia have reached an agreement that will revise and extend the term of the contract for Martha Stewart’s Everyday line…
Company Wants To Take HIV Test OTC
The chief executive of OraSure Technologies, Mike Gausling, wants his company’s OraQuick rapid HIV test to be made available to consumers without prescription. Should rapid tests for HIV such as…
Loyalty: Bigger Than A Program
Things were going great for Eckerd in their hometown of Tampa back in 1981. How things change. As Chris Tisch, writing for the St. Petersburg Times, put it, “More than…
Lands’ End Stores May Go It Alone
Sears is considering launching stand-alone specialty shops featuring products from its Lands’ End catalog division. The stores would sell regular merchandise and would not simply serve as factory stores for…
Demand For Martha’s Furniture Grows
Alex Bernhardt, chairman and chief executive of Bernhardt Furniture, said he was braced to take a hit on the sales of his company’s Martha Stewart Signature Furniture but it didn’t…
Brewer Takes South Beach Fight Public
Anheuser-Busch says the best selling book, The South Beach Diet, by Dr. Arthur Agatston gives readers the wrong information about beer and it is publicizing it with full-page ads in…
The Boom Is Back In Dot-Com
Internet giants Amazon and eBay have posted impressive sales results demonstrating there is still plenty of boom left in those old dot-coms. What are your thoughts on the current state…
Amazon Goes Into Jewelry Biz
Amazon.com has gone into the jewelry business with the opening of its newest site and its strategy for gaining business is simple. It will simply low-ball the competition. What…
Ethnic Groups Unswayed By Low Carb Food Trends
Atkins and other low-carbohydrate diets are big news. Mainstream consumers are shunning potatoes, pasta, bread and other high carb foods, while manufacturers and restaurants are seizing the opportunity by offerings…
Judge Says Time Doesn’t Fit The Crime
Judge Sylvia Rambo thought former Rite Aid chief executive Martin Grass was getting off too easy with a plea bargain that would have seen him serve a maximum of eight…
Self-Service Better Than No Service
A column by Amy Culbertson in the Star Telegram asks and then answers the burning question about the new Shop ‘n’ Scan system being used by Albertsons in the Dallas-Fort…
Food Addictions May Be Real
A new study published in the April issue of the medical journal NeuroImage appears to give credence to the argument that people can become addicted to certain types of foods…
