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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Wal-Mart Controls Health Care Costs
As a piece in today’s Wall Street Journal points out, Wal-Mart “is famous for cutting costs everywhere it can. Today a giant target for the world’s biggest retailer is the…
Hardee’s Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Salad
While larger competitors such as McDonald’s and Burger King are looking to reposition themselves as healthier eating destinations, Hardee’s has chosen to go in the “Thickburger” direction. “People in the…
More Consumers Impoverished, Again
A report from the Census Bureau says the poverty rate in America grew .4% last year over 2001. It marked the second consecutive year the number of Americans living in…
Morrison’s Gets OK for Safeway Bid
England’s Competition Commission has given the family-owned William Morrison grocery chain approval to proceed with its bid to buy the Safeway supermarket chain, reports BBC News. What will the Competition…
The Day The Muzak Died
According to The Business Journal of Kansas City, “Sept. 19 was the day the Muzak died.” At 7:56 EST on that day, the Telstar 4 satellite short-circuited and businesses throughout…
Apple of VM+SD’s Eye
Apple Computer was named the winner of the third annual Visual Merchandising and Store Design/Peter Glen award as Retailer of the Year for 2003. What stores (any channel) do you…
Buzzwords du Jour: Prosumers, Metrosexuals, Globesity
Shifts are taking place in society and in consumer behavior and keeping pace with these changes is essential to retail performance. A DM News report identified four areas worthy of…
NJ Food Council Receives Training Grant
The New Jersey Department of Labor has awarded a grant of $250,000 to the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) to continue its program of training workshops for food handlers employed…
AMA Awards Best Marketing Book Prize
The American Marketing Association (AMA) has named Will & Vision: How Latecomers Grow to Dominate Markets, by Gerard J. Tellis and Peter N. Golder, the winner of the 2003 Berry-AMA…
Food Lion’s $60 Million Makeover
Food Lion is going more upscale, with remodels of its stores in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina almost complete, reports the News & Observer. The Delhaize America division has…
Canadian Convenience King Buying Into US Market
Alimentation Couche-Tard, Canada’s largest convenience store operator, plans to purchase more than 200 stores in the US before the end of the year, reports Reuters. What impact will Couche-Tard have…
Chicken Chains Losing Sales to Burger Joints
Consumers are eating more chicken than ever. They just aren’t necessarily getting it at chains such as KFC, Popeye’s and Church’s, reports Reuters. Can the chicken chains recapture share of…
Do Not Call Registry Put On Hold
The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has ruled the Federal Trade Commission had overstepped its authority in establishing the national do-not-call registry. What will be…
Growing Against All Odds
A new study by Bain & Company, Brand Growth: Beating the Odds, contends there are no tired brands, just tired brand managers. According to the study covering 524 brands in…
Upcoming Holiday Season Looks Dimly Brighter
Although most economists are warming up their forecasts for the long hoped-for economic revival, the upcoming holiday retail selling season will likely bring somewhat mixed results, according to management consulting…
Yahoo Merges Shopping with Searching
Yahoo launched an upgrade to its online shopping service yesterday that incorporates side-by-side comparison tools to aid shoppers in their journey through the millions of products offered by over 17,000…
The Death of TV Advertising and Other Ideas, Part 2
In the second part of a provocative presentation on the future of marketing and advertising at the recent GMA MSM Conference, Dr. Peter Sealey discussed “simplicity marketing”. What to do?…
Donut Chain Courts Espresso Love
Dunkin’ Donuts is rolling out espresso in its stores for a very good reason says its chief executive officer, Jon Luther. Its customers asked for it. What are your thoughts…
Amazon Sells Sporting Goods
A Bloomberg News report says Amazon.com has signed up 95 retailers to offer an extensive selection of sporting goods online. Among those involved in the venture are Foot Locker, Sports…
Sears Sells National Tire & Battery
Sears has reached an agreement to sell National Tire & Battery (NTB) to TBC Corp., the largest independent tire retailer in the country, for $260 million. In the process, the…
The Death of TV Advertising and Other Ideas, Part 1
In a presentation at the GMA Merchandising, Sales and Marketing Conference, Peter Sealey, PhD, predicted the imminent death of TV ads as we know them today.
Doctor Sealey argues that…
