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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Coke Says Marketing Test Was Rigged
Coca-Cola has admitted employees of its fountain unit faked a marketing test for Frozen Coke at Burger King locations in Richmond, Virginia. Brad Blum, chief executive officer, Burger King issued…
Wedding Gifts Groomed for Guys
According to The Chicago Tribune, the traditional American wedding shower is changing. “Tired of towels and sheets, china patterns and kitchenware, grooms have started to take a wrecking ball to…
Grocer Seeks to Transform Business in 37 Hours
Farmer Jack is closing its 105 stores in Michigan and Ohio for 37 hours in an attempt to “remake itself with lower prices and a focus on fresh food,” according…
Execs Ain’t Misbehavin’
Media coverage of scandals such as those involving US Foodservice, Tops Markets, Rite-Aid, Martha Stewart, etc. gives the impression that unethical behavior is a common and growing practice in corporate…
Shopping With A Conscience
The second annual survey of the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) conducted by The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) found nearly one-third of US consumers say their shopping behavior is…
Fossil, Microsoft Connect on Dick Tracy Watch
The Dallas Morning News reported last week Fossil, a designer and marketer of watches, is introducing a wristwatch targeted to men that not only tells time but will display news…
Marshall Field’s New Lease on Life and Business
The department store retailer, Marshall Field’s, is seeking to revitalize its business by leasing space within its stores to designers and other merchants. According to USA Today, the store plans…
Sears To Dress Store Employees
Sometime between now and September, Sears will begin requiring its store sales staff to wear solid black or white tops with black or tan pants, according to a report by…
The Tom Peters Experience
In a wide-ranging, energetic presentation at the recent IDDBA convention, management guru Tom Peters expressed his ideas on branding in an age of commodities. According to Mr. Peters, consumers have…
RFID to Start with Pallets
Wal-Mart’s chief information officer, Linda Dillman, said the retailer is focusing its initial radio frequency identification (RFID) technology efforts on pallets. Wal-Mart is looking to have 100 key vendors supporting…
Great Retailing Ideas Stopped at Border
In his May Warren’s Wanderings column in Private Label Buyer, Warren Thayer offers a theory that may explain why great retailing ideas from Canadian merchants such as Loblaw’s rarely seem…
Harry Potter Expectations Overblown
Although pre-orders of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” have topped a million on Amazon.com, signs are that this soon to be released J.K. Rowling installment may not…
Ad Spending Up, But Branding Takes a Back Seat
Some restaurant chains in the Twin Cities area appear to be gaining confidence in this slowly warming economy and are ramping up advertising expenditures, but their new ads are not…
Starbucks Approaching Oversaturation in Japan
Starbucks’ biggest expansion outside the U.S. has been in Japan, which is now home to 466 stores. But on closer examination, the Japanese momentum is showing sure signs of waning…
Retailers Favoring Use of IT to Improve Customer Service, Survey Says
A new study indicates a retail community that is broadly re-energized in many areas of retail technology development. In one portion of the survey, retailers voice a newfound commitment to…
Netflix Stirs the Sleeping Giant
Events developed quickly this week with DVD-by-mail operation Netflix. First came Netflix’ celebratory announcement Monday evening that they were boosting their second-quarter earnings outlook. Then, Wal-Mart released news that they…
Asda Tests Standalone Clothing Stores (By George!)
Wal-Mart’s U.K. Asda unit will test two standalone stores featuring the George clothing line, which was previously sold only in their standard stores. The new stores will be simply named…
Amazon Markets Its E-commerce Technology
Amazon will launch a wholly-owned subsidiary offering services and technology to help retailers develop their own online enterprises. Amazon’s e-commerce and distribution systems are already being put to use in…
Regionals Running to Stay Ahead of the Pack
In a session at the recently concluded GMA Executive Conference ), top execs representing three leading regional retailers — Meijer, Shaw’s and Roundy’s — provided insights into “Staying Ahead of…
Wal-Mart’s June Off to a Mm, Mm Good Start
Unusually cool weather in many parts of the US meant sales of soup and hot chocolate were hot while air conditioners cooled on the shelf in Wal-Mart for the beginning…
Convenience Store and Consumers on Automatic
Automated retailing’s time has come. At least that’s what Mike Rivalto, owner of SmartMart, an automated convenience store in Memphis, Tenn., is counting on. At SmartMart, customers can drive in…
