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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
NASFT Presents Specialty Foods Awards
The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade presented awards to winners selected from 3,000 product entries submitted by 1,400 specialty food companies. Is there a market for gourmet products…
Celestial Seasonings Introduces Five New Teas
Celestial Seasonings unveiled five new caffeinated black teas. Will gourmet/specialty teas transform the category in a similar fashion to the coffee category experience?
Architects, Experts Say Proper Design Propels Sales
Architects and national experts agree that stores that are properly designed and engineered can enhance the customer’s buying mood. Are retailers doing a good job of communicating that they understand…
Big G to Roll-Out 80 New Products
General Mills is getting ready to launch 80 new products in grocery stores by December. The new products will be in addition to a range of improvements to existing products…
Genuardi’s Undergoes Bumpy Transition
Complaints abound among Genuardi’s shoppers about changes – real and perceived – in the products offered and service provided since Safeway acquired the family-owned chain last year. Concerns range from…
Reckitt Benckiser Cleans Up
Reckitt Benckiser Plc, the world’s biggest maker of household-cleaning products, said second-quarter profit growth beat its annual target of between 12 percent and 15 percent after costs fell and demand…
Too Many Stores for Columbus
A study ranks Columbus, Ohio, last among 35 major cities for the overall health of its retail industry. Are most retailers operating in over-stored geographical environments?
Teenagers Go for Milk of a Different Color
Milk drinking among American teenagers has increased for the first time in six years. The increase is being attributed to flavored milks. Will flavored milk products increase consumption in older…
Consumer Sentiment Falls, Will Spending Follow?
The University of Michigan reports that its index of consumer sentiment fell to 86.5 in early July from 92.4 at the end of June and 96.9 in May. According to…
A&P Reverts to No-Frills with Food Basics
Food Basics opened its third American store two months ago in Brooklyn. The stores represent A&P’s bid to return to lower-income, ethnically diverse urban areas. Is A&P right with…
Shaw’s New CEO Will Oversee Expansion
As president and CEO of Shaw’s Supermarkets due to succeed Ross McLaren in the fall, Paul Gannon is focused on improving and expanding many of the chain’s stores in a…
Retailers Experience High Employee Turnover
Employee commitment is weak in the retail industry according to a recent survey. Factors such as low wages, a lack of traditional benefits and work schedules that demand holiday and…
Organic Bread Bakes up “Absurd” Health Scare
The American Council on Science and Health filed a legal notice targeting whole-wheat and organic bread sold by Whole Foods Market in a bid to highlight what it calls absurd…
Red Wine Fools Prostate Cancer
Does the good health news about wine translate into faster sales growth for the category? What should retailers be doing to maximize the good press that wine has been receiving?
Consumers Hot for BBQs
Since barbecuing has expanded to become a lifestyle for some Americans, barbecuing equipment has become more about individuality and style than function. How can retailers generate incremental sales and profits…
McLane to Supply 7-Eleven
7-Eleven Inc. has signed a 40-month supply agreement with McLane Co. The deal could be worth some two billion dollars per year. What will the 7-Eleven deal mean for McLane?…
Gasoline Siphons BJ’s June Sales
BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. reports that gasoline sales had a “slightly negative” impact on comparable club sales due to price deflation. If legislation is enacted to outlaw below-cost sales of…
2.4 Million Grandparents Are Primary Caregivers
The 2000 Census found that more than 2.4 million grandparents are the primary caregivers to a grandchild. How will non-traditional families (divorce/remarriage, same-sex unions, grandparents as primary care-giver, etc.) affect…
Trans Fat Labeling to Be Required
A final rule requiring that the amount of trans fat be listed on food labels could be completed by this fall or early next spring. How will the FDA’s…
Eckerd to End Unsolicited Drug Promotions
Eckerd Corp. has agreed to obtain express permission from customers before sending them marketing material on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. Is corporate talk of values-based management a smokescreen? Can nice…
P&G to Change Sunny D Label
Procter & Gamble is changing the label of Sunny Delight. Product labels will now describe the drink as “orange-flavored citrus punch and other natural flavors” instead of “real fruit beverage.”…
