In the Fort Lauderdale area, independent wine shops have long ceded the lion’s share of wine sales to big chains such as Publix and Costco. But Bacchus’ crown may soon be passed on once again. Enter a spirit superstore named Total Wine & More, featuring a selection of 8,000 wines, 2,000 spirits and 1,000 beers. What does the future of the American wine market look like?
“Growth, growth, growth” continues to be Wal-Mart’s mantra for success, even when expansion results in eating into its own sales, according to a Wall Street Journal piece by Kris Hudson. In fact, cannibalization is all factored into the strategy, to the disapproval of many on Wall Street. At what point will Wal-Mart ease back on the throttle with its expansion plans?
According to data from research firm Stevenson Co., Sears Holdings Corp. is still the U.S. appliance market leader, with 34.1 percent share in 2005, but that’s down from 38.7 percent in 2002. Meanwhile, others are not sitting idly by and waiting for Sears to find a way to reinvigorate consumers’ interests in the Kenmore brand. Will the home center channel become the market share leader, or is this just a phase while the traditional outlets turnaround their strategies?
In the last week, since the release of a white paper written by a group of researchers from the University of Amsterdam describing the possibility of embedding RFID tags with code viruses, headlines have circled the globe and RFID experts have weighed in on the legitimacy of the threat. On the “just hold on a minute” side are those who say there is not much relevance to the claims. Is the RFID virus theory nothing more than overblown speculation, or does it hold an important message for the industry to remain vigilant?
Acknowledging the National Retail Federation’s 2006 outlook calling for a cooling off in the housing boom to 4.7 percent growth from last year’s 6.1 percent, Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli expressed confidence in the spending power of baby boomers to keep the DIY market churning. How do you see the next 3 years for the D-I-Y channel?
Portable technology that allows for acceptance of credit cards on the sales floor, rental car lot or, as portrayed in a NY Times article, on the golf range, is not new. However, recent improvements in wireless networks and the lower cost of hand-held devices is beginning to inspire increased usage. What are the relative merits of wireless credit card acceptance for small businesses and retail chains?
“Lukewarm” was an oft-used adjective in news pieces early this weekend describing the official start of the holiday season. Mostly, those reviews were based on a report from ShopperTrak RCT Corp. which, having tracked sales at over 45,000 retail outlets, said that Black Friday numbers were largely unchanged from a year ago. From reports you’ve seen and your own observations, what is your Monday morning quarterback assessment of this year’s post-Thanksgiving performance?
Attention frozen food category managers: make room for doggie. According to the Chicago Tribune, Dreyer’s is scoring a big hit with its Frosty Paws Frozen Treats for Dogs and it’s extending the brand. The nation’s largest ice cream company reports that the items, which wears a Purina logo, have become its most profitable product line. Will other “human product makers” follow suit and pursue opportunities in pet foods and treats?
Under the directive of chief executive Bradbury H. Anderson, Best Buy is taking a strong initiative to move “Customer Centricity” beyond the realm of marketing buzz phrases. In fact, the electronics retailer is retooling certain locations just for Buzz — code name for a shopper profile that translates to “the young tech enthusiast.” Are the long-promised benefits of data-mining and customer-centricity strategies finally reaching fruition at Best Buy?
A&P enjoyed the distinction of being the biggest percentage gainer on the NY Stock Exchange yesterday, ending the day up 22.5 percent. Investor enthusiasm was inspired by a ratings upgrade from Lehman Brothers, based upon the investment bank’s expectation that the ailing retailer will be making important strategic moves over the next year and a half. However, acquisitions also appeared in Lehman’s crystal ball: as many as 39 stores from Northeast area competitor Pathmark. Why can’t A&P management seem to find ways to improve the company’s performance via better operations?
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