RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Greenpeace: Pajamas Are Toxic
The international environmental action group, Greenpeace, is demanding retailers, including Disney, Mothercare, Toys R Us and Woolworth’s, stop selling children’s pajamas containing phthalates and other potentially harmful chemicals. How should…
Grocers Try To Find Way Around Picket Lines
Schnuck Markets is St. Louis has resumed taking online orders for groceries in an attempt to win back the business of consumers unwilling to cross the picket line, reports the…
Sony and Wal-Mart Sued Over Video Game
Lawyers have filed a suit for $246 million against Sony and Wal-Mart for the shootings of two motorists by teenagers in Tennessee who said they got the idea from the…
Amazon Cuts Prices, Raises Profits
Amazon.com reported yesterday it has generated its very first profit in a quarter other than the fourth. What do you see as Amazon’s greatest opportunity and biggest obstacle to continued…
Manager’s Lessons Go Beyond Baseball
An opinion piece in the Christian Science Monitor says society has a lot to learn from the example of Jack McKeon, the 72-year old manager of the Florida Marlins.”McKeon’s story…
Whole Foods Says Activists Are Right
Whole Foods Market is expected to announce plans today to allow an independent third party audit of the company’s compliance with standards set for the humane treatment of animals whose…
Eight O’Clock Has New Owner
Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. has announced an agreement to sell Eight O’Clock coffee to Gryphon Investors, a private equity firm. What are your thoughts on the Eight O’Clock…
Labor Strife Reality
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) strike in California and elsewhere continues on with seemingly little hope of a quick resolution. Play the arbitration game. What is a fair…
Universal Health Care Favored
More than 15 percent of the US population had no health care in 2002. Sixty-percent of people surveyed said they are concerned about their ability to afford health insurance in…
Cos. Cut Back Quality of Life Perks
A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management has found companies, offering employees the option to telecommute and work flextime schedules, have cut back on these family-friendly perks. What…
A Man’s Job
It’s not enough to bring in a paycheck any longer. Men have to earn their keep doing laundry, cooking and all of the other household chores, which were once the…
A Dollar Store Goes a Long Way in Atlanta
If you’re looking to open a dollar store, there are few better places than Atlanta, according to an Atlanta Business Journal report. What is your assessment of the dollar store…
Who’s Delivering Excellent Customer Service?
The National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation has awarded a research grant to the Southwest Retail Center for Education and Research at the University of Arizona to identify real world examples…
Defining Convenience
Naturally, we all define convenience differently, but at the recently concluded National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) convention, consulting firm srcg attempted to help c-store operators identify what they could…
It’s a Big Old Case-Ready World
Where have all the butchers gone? According to a report by Elizabeth Lee of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “the supermarket butcher may be going the way of the milkman.” What is…
Pizza Hut Cuts the Fat
Pizza Hut is hoping that consumers counting fat calories will add up to greater revenues for the chain. The company has rolled out its “Fit ‘N Delicious” pizza, boasting one-fourth…
M’m, M’m Organic
The Campbell Soup Company has announced it is launching its first certified organic product, Campbell’s Organic Tomato Juice in 46-ounce plastic bottles. What are your thoughts on Campbell’s entry into…
Martha’s Back at Kmart
USA Today reports Kmart is rolling out new holiday season ads on Saturday featuring Martha Stewart. Ms. Stewart is due to go on trial in January for alleged securities’ law…
A Pepsi and iTunes for Everyone
Today is the day Apple Computer launches a Windows-compatible version of its iTunes Music Store. It is also expected to be the day the computer company announces a new promotional…
Kings Cooks with New Book
Twenty years ago the Kings Super Market chain opened its first Cooking Studio in Short Hills, NJ. Since then, the chain has had numerous well-known chefs teach classes. Now, Kings…
Supervalu to Leave Denver
Supervalu has decided to exit the Denver market, selling off its distribution center and nine retail store locations, reports Reuters. What are your thoughts on Supervalu leaving the Denver market?
