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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
How Many Stores is Too Many
Bankrupt Eagle Food Centers is having trouble selling off two its former stores in Dubuque, IA, according to a Telegraph Herald report, and it may be because potential buyers think…
Banana Republic Transitions Brand
Gap’s Banana Republic division thinks it’s time men started wearing suits again and it’s saying so in its mailers and in the windows of its stores. Is there a trend…
Scheduling Software Goes With The Flow
Retailers including Shaw’s Supermarkets, Pep Boys and Bob’s are using technology to help improve employee scheduling and provide better service to customers shopping in the store. Shaw’s rolled out its…
Justice Sues to Close Canadian Rx Shops
The US Justice Department has sued to shut down two companies importing prescription drugs from Canada for sale in the US, reports the Associated Press. Current law prohibits all but…
More Cracks Found in Windows’ Security
Windows users have been put on alert as Microsoft warned that newly discovered flaws leave computers running on the operating system vulnerable to virus and worm attacks similar to the…
Former Calvin Klein Exec Joins Sears
Sears announced yesterday that Carrie Shigetomi, a former executive with Calvin Klein, is its new vice president of brand development. Ms. Shigetomi will be responsible for overseeing the retailer’s private…
Shareholders Want CEO’s Pay Cut
Expatica.com reports the two largest pension funds in the Netherlands with significant share holdings in Ahold want the retailer’s new chief executive officer’s, Anders Moberg, compensation package reduced. What are…
Krispy Kreme Tests Three Formats in Wal-Mart
Krispy Kreme plans to open and test three different store formats in Wal-Mart stores and supercenters, reports the Associated Press. What are your thoughts on the Krispy Kreme/Wal-Mart test?
Wal-Mart Answers Wage Critics
Wal-Mart’s senior vice president of corporate affairs, Jay Allen, took issue with critics who portray the company as a low wage employer that has profited at the expense of its…
We’re Not Going to Take It
Consumers are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore. Are consumers angrier today than they have been in the past? How should retailers deal with consumer…
Target Ahead of Target
The back-to-school season has been very, very good to Target as the chain said it expected to see sales at its Target stores rise as much as six percent above…
9/11/03 Retailing Back to Normal in Vegas
The local economies of tourist destinations such as Las Vegas were hard hit by the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 but two years later, retailers report shopper counts and…
Retailer’s Profits Go Up-Scale
The Neiman Marcus Group reported profits increased 36 percent in the company’s last quarter driven by significant same-store increases at its namesake and Bergdorf Goodman stores. Are improving sales at…
Basha’s In Skin Cancer Technology Test
Basha’s is testing a digital photography system developed by Telemedco which allows an in-store technician to photograph an area of skin and send it instantly to a dermatologist for review…
Consumers Buying McD’s New Menu Items
McDonald’s reported sales for its U.S. restaurants were up 8.8 percent in August as consumers stepped-up and drove-thru for the chain’s newest menu items including McGriddle breakfast sandwiches and premium…
The Incredible Self-Destructing DVD
Walt Disney Co. is testing disposable, self-destructing videos that will allow consumers to bring home a movie and then toss it in the trash rather than returning it to a…
No Stopping on 9/11
What do you remember about Sept. 11, 2001? Coming up on the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks, businesses that had “stopped” spending are beginning to move forward again, reports…
A Shot of McCafe
McDonald’s plans to test a coffee bar concept, McCafes, inside designated stores in the US in an attempt to grab a share of the business now being captured by Starbucks,…
Retailing At The Hop
The Myrtle Beach Sun News reports Jackie Nelson’s “Southern Banana Split” was the winner of the Lee’s Inlet Apothecary Soda Jerk Contest on Friday. Is the old-fashioned soda fountain/drug store…
No Rest For Christian Stores On Sunday
Family Christian Stores, a 325-store national retail chain, will open for business on Sundays for the first time this fall. Dave Browne, chief executive officer, Family Christian Stores told the…
Meijer Cuts HQ Staff
Meijer eliminated 350 supervisory and administrative positions at its headquarters, distribution centers and field offices on Friday, reports The Associated Press. The retailer took this action, according to a company…
