A newly released report, “Functional Foods: Opportunities and Challenges,” urges government officials to create economic incentives for the food industry to be more active in producing foods designed to improve public health and prevent disease. Which segment(s) of the population will functional foods appeal to? How does the trend relate to the growing popularity of organics?
When’s the last time you read a high-tech brochure that did NOT present a “value proposition” to “streamline processes” and “optimize resources” across your entire “enterprise”? Was the “solution” “robust” and “scalable”? Did it create new “business synergies” and “fundamental paradigm shifts”? Is there a solution for hi-tech marketingspeak or are we too far gone to turn back now?
Although May Department Stores didn’t provide an explanation or announce store closings, Gene Kahn’s exit comes on the heels of a 3.2 percent holiday sales drop. May’s troubles are representative of much of the department store business. Many are saying that sweeping changes are called for to set things right, but May hasn’t yet spoken of a change in direction. Where do department stores go from here?
Martha Stewart has been hit with a sentence of five months in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of $30,000 for her ImClone conspiracy conviction. How do you see Ms. Stewart’s prison time playing out in the media and what repercussions do you predict for her brands? Although the judge has issued a stay while Ms. Stewart’s attorneys prepare the expected appeal, this minimum sentence may stand.
Packaged salad…soy milk…restaurant-to-retail food. These, according to Valerie Skala, VP, Analytic Product Management, Information Resources, Inc., are landmark “transformational” products of recent times.With thousands of products competing for retail real estate, how can retailers best recognize a new product winner when they see one?
Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson worked clean-up in the batting order for FMI’s Speaks 2004 annual state of the industry report on Sunday morning. Sec. Thompson is clearly on a mission to get the heads of U.S. companies into a leadership role in inspiring wellness among their employees. Will we see sustained efforts by food and beverage companies to market healthier options and support physical fitness, or are we simply in a short-term, anti-obesity cycle?
Although most economists are warming up their forecasts for the long hoped-for economic revival, the upcoming holiday retail selling season will likely bring somewhat mixed results, according to management consulting and market research firm Retail Forward, Inc. “The economy and retail sales are on the rebound, but the signs suggest that it will be an uneven rebound,” states Frank Badillo, Senior Economist for Retail Forward. Will shoppers return to a pre-9/11 spirits this holiday season?
Yahoo launched an upgrade to its online shopping service yesterday that incorporates side-by-side comparison tools to aid shoppers in their journey through the millions of products offered by over 17,000 Yahoo online merchants. In essence, the new service is a tighter integration of Yahoo Product Search, utilizing algorithmic search and Web crawling technology, and the company’s base of Yahoo Shopping e-merchants. Will Yahoo’s new comparison shopping allow it to play catch up with Google and eBay?
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 live up to expectations. This could be a major disappointment for book retailers who have been conditioned to expect huge boosts in foot traffic and unit volume when each new release comes about. Is it wise for the beleaguered publishing and bookseller industry to bank so heavily on “young Mr. Potter”?
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 focusing on brand-building. Rather, they’re trying “to appeal to cost-conscious consumers by featuring low prices and good food”. In a sluggishly improving economic environment, are image ads simply a luxury that retailers cannot afford?
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