The New York Times, citing anonymous sources this week, has tried to confirm rumors about Microsoft developing a hand-held multimedia player to rival the iPod. Word has it that the device, which makes use of Microsoft’s own software platform, may be ready for this year’s holiday season. Is Microsoft’s historically successful come-from-behind strategy going to work in the digital music and video download sector, or are they too late on the scene?
Technological advances, educational programs, media attention and consumer outreach have created a consciousness about food safety that protects both the food and the buyer. The consensus is that the battle is ongoing and letting one’s guard down can have serious repercussions. Fortunately, there’s much evidence that the food industry as a whole is taking its responsibilities seriously. What role should third-party auditors and trainers play in a retailer’s food safety program?
Perhaps the only market on earth big enough to satisfy the Multinational chains’ collective appetite to expand resides in China, home of the fastest growing retail sector on earth. Although Chinese officials want to continue to encourage the influx of foreign capital and expertise, It seemed only a matter of time before a greater degree of control would be called for. Should these new regulatory developments indicate to U.S. and European retailers that they should be proceeding more cautiously with their investments in China?
According to ACNielsen, 6 to 15 percent of U.S. consumers say they purchase natural and organic regularly, and those numbers are expected to grow. So where does private label fit in? With retailers big and small recognizing and reacting to the growing private label organics trend, the real challenge is that many consumers don’t know it yet! Do consumer price and quality perceptions of organics work to the advantage of private label, or will it make adoption of PL organics that much more difficult?
If anyone has an understanding of what has made Target successful, it’s probably Gerald Storch, who joined the retail company in 1993 as senior vice president of strategic planning. His 12-year tenure there was regarded highly enough that many saw him as the likely next CEO, but his path led, instead, to the helm of Toys R Us beginning in February of this year. Is Gerald Storch focusing on the right things in order to turn around Toy R Us?
“Significant gaps exist in the response plans of the U.S. government and the private sector for reconstituting the Internet in the event of an unprecedented massive Internet disruption.” If this was a rant from the Unabomber, the danger would certainly be easier to dismiss. But, unfortunately, the source is about as respectable as they come. What chance do we have that all the disparate entities that need to be involved will act together and produce a viable preparedness plan for an “internet tsunami”?
“Be careful what you wish for” would have been an apt warning for the producers of organic dairy products. According to the Organic Trade Association, the sector has grown 24 percent since 2004 to now represent 3.5 percent of all dairy products sold in the U.S. The double-digit growth is currently driving demand that is 20 percent greater than what the industry is able to fulfill, according to an Associated Press article. Will organic dairy suppliers be able to sustain the segment’s growth while living up to consumers’ ideal of what an organic farm should be?
In what is expected to be the biggest retail IPO since 2002 when Petco went public, J.Crew is preparing to hit the NYSE big board under the ticker symbol JCG. The 215-store clothing retailer that began life as a catalog in 1983 plans to offer 18.8 million shares in the $15 to $17 range, which would yield about $280 million in new proceeds and give it a proposed market value of close to $1 billion. Assuming J.Crew’s IPO is a success, will other chains, that have been sitting on the sidelines, take heart and make their move?
As reported by the Union-Tribune of San Diego, the first whiff of a slowdown in the growth of digital music sales may be in the air. Reports from both the Diffusion Group of Plano, Texas and New York-based Pali Research indicate a first quarter growth trend that is declining slightly vs. the same period last year. At this juncture, with the digital download boom losing momentum and moving into a more mature phase, has the music industry learned anything about serving the customer?
Home Depot is taking an unusually direct approach to the challenge of getting superior customer service out of its employees. Its new “Orange Juiced” program earmarks rewards of up to $25,000 per quarter for stores that provide the best customer experiences. Is it possible for retailers, or any employer for that matter, to set up a fair incentive program for something as subjective as customer service?
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