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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
‘Grocerants’ Level Playing Field
Grocery stores are going into the food business. Supermarkets such as Wegmans in New York, Byerly’s in Minnesota and Draeger’s in California are operating restaurants serving meals that even foodies…
Walmart.com’s Sales Make Its Parent Proud
John Fleming, chief executive officer, Walmart.com told the San Francisco Business Times, “We had a great holiday season. We know that sales (for the entire online sector) are up 25…
Leaders Need To Call IT Shots
An article in The McKinsey Quarterly, ‘Who’s Accountable for IT?’, says the role of information technology (IT) is changing and, as such, business leaders need to reevaluate how the function…
Kroger Enters Chicago Market
Safeway may be looking to sell Dominick’s so it can exit the Chicagoland market, but Kroger seems intent on making a place for itself operating stores under the Food 4…
Delhaize to Close Food Lion and Kash n’ Karry Stores
Delhaize plans to close 41 Food Lion locations and one Kash n’ Karry store by the end of this month, explaining that they were “just not profitable”. What is…
Coca-Cola Gets Real
Coke is looking to create a bond between its flagship brand and younger consumers with its new “Coca-Cola Real” advertising campaign featuring celebrities such as Penelope Cruz, Courtney Cox Arquette,…
McDonald’s Faces Worker Resistance
An anti-McDonald’s movement established and carried on by McDonald’s own employees, the McDonald’s Worker Resistance, describes itself as “a loose network of McDonald’s employees” with members from around the globe…
Ahold Restructures, Bruno’s CEO Resigns
Ahold announced yesterday that it was restructuring back-operations at its Bruno’s, BI-LO, Giant-Carlisle and Tops operations, and that Bruno’s chief executive, Jim Demme has decided to leave the company. …
A Drink A Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Citing a new study, an Associated Press article reported, “As little as half a drink every other day is enough to reduce the risk, regardless of whether it is beer,…
Walgreen’s Ups Ad Budget
Jeffrey Rein, chief operating officer, Walgreen’s announced yesterday that the nation’s largest drugstore chain would increase its budget 12-13 percent and spend approximately $360 million on advertising this year. Do…
Wal-Mart and Tesco To Test Smart Shelves
Wal-Mart and Tesco are working with Gillette to test a new inventory control technology that uses shelves that can read radio frequency identification (RFID) tags embedded in the manufacturer’s products…
Albertsons Focuses on Nutrition
Albertsons is taking its Nutrition in Focus program to the communities it serves with dietitians that offer nutritional tours at company stores as well as speaking to groups and providing…
Aldi Accelerates Plans for Tennessee
A spokesman for Aldi told The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, TN), “We are currently accelerating our expansion plans in Tennessee, and Clarksville is definitely an ideal market for two or more of…
Managers Say Retailer Was Crafty Not Paying OT
A suit filed by a group of Canadian store managers alleges that Michaels, the largest arts and craft chain in the US, violated Canada’s Employment Standards Act by not paying…
Bush Plan Looks to Jumpstart the Economy
In introducing his administration’s plan for boosting the economy yesterday with a $674 billion tax cut and credit program, President Bush declared, “The role of government is not to manage…
Obesity As Dangerous as Smoking
Based on the medical records of nearly 3,500 adults in the US, Dutch researchers have concluded that being overweight poses a similar risk for premature death as does smoking. How…
Energy Drains Cooks and Cleaners
According to the latest ACNielsen Consumer Pre*View research, half of household head respondents agreed with the statement: “I am so busy and in such a hurry all day that by…
If You’ve Got Milk, Drink It
Calcium is a necessity for building strong bones and maintaining optimum health. Many people, however, are failing to get enough of the essential nutrient, reports The New York Times. What…
Happiness is Working Retail
If you’re looking for the best industry to work in, you could do a lot worse than pick retail as a career based on Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work…
Consumers Too Bored to Shop
According to The New York Times, “Many pollsters and analysts blame the recent holiday retailing debacle on the inability of merchants to set themselves apart from their competition.” Do…
Pampering Pets for Profits
While many retailers are struggling to eke out the smallest of gains, one class of specialty retailers is achieving booming increases in sales and profits. Retailers such as Petsmart and…
