Author: Al McClain

Retail’s High-End Food Opportunity

Attending the conglomeration of food shows led by the FMI (Food Marketing Institute) convention this week, Al McClain wondered if enough attention is being given to the unique opportunity of specialty foods. Mass retailers like to focus, naturally, on products that they can move quickly at high margins. But, since supermarkets and other related retailers have not been able to sell nearly as much as they like, nor make the margins they’d prefer, isn’t it time to give some additional consideration to high margin specialty opportunities?

Understanding the Wal-Mart Shopper

Exactly who is the Wal-Mart shopper? The easy answer might be everybody, but Todd Hale, SVP – Consumer Insights, ACNielsen, gave a more specific profile, largely based on Nielsen Homescan information, at the recent Consumer 360 Conference. Assuming Wal-Mart continues to grow and expand at a rapid pace, how can other retailers succeed, and how should suppliers balance their desire to sell more to Wal-Mart with the need to keep the playing field competitive?

What To Do When You’re Not The Category Captain

Seemingly, every supplier wants to be category captain in order to take the lead in working with retailers to optimize results in the category and ensure that their category management and merchandising philosophy wins out. How important a role should non-category captain suppliers play in retail category reviews? What steps are essential for the retailer in improving their category review process?

Four Seasons Focuses Year-Round on Customer Service

At the recent Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Marketing Conference, Barbara Talbot, executive vice president marketing for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, presented a case study on how they built a unique brand position through intuitive, personalized customer service. What other companies, outside retail, do you think provide great examples of customer service, marketing, etc. that retailers can learn from and adapt for their own business?

Supers Can Do Better

A recent study conducted on behalf of the National Grocer’s Association — by Phil Lempert — the “Supermarket Guru,” Today Show food editor and RetailWire BrainTrust panelist — found there were numerous areas where independent and regional supermarkets can do a better job with shoppers than discounters and chain operators. What can a ‘smaller’ operator do better than their competitors and what areas do you think are most important?

N.G.A. Keynotes Get Political

In adjacent keynote addresses at the recent National Grocers Association convention in Las Vegas, former Vice President Al Gore and former congressman J. C. Watts had some interesting ideas about politics and the economy. What’s your take on the state of our government, and how it will affect the retailing climate in the coming years?

Life Sciences: Should We Do It Because We Can?

At this week’s FMI Midwinter Executive Conference, Juan Enriquez, founding director of Harvard Business School’s Life Science Project, made the case for pushing forward with life sciences, in spite of the “yuck factor” that such developments as three winged chickens may provoke. Should the food manufacturing, retailing and related industries be actively promoting the advancement of life sciences as urged by Doctor Enriquez?

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 do to become more convenient. What’s your gold standard for convenience stores today? What suggestions do you have for retailers with smaller stores, such as this channel, to compete more effectively?