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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Rite Aid Profits and Loses
Rite Aid Corp. posted its first quarterly profit for the three months ended June 1 in at least four years, while simultaneously continuing its 16-quarter losing streak. Did Rite Aid…
Nuts Good For the Heart
A new study has found that men who eat nuts regularly have roughly half the risk of sudden cardiac death as those who don’t consume them. As the population ages…
Cascadian Farm Introduces Tasty Organic Cereals
Cascadian Farm, a division of Small Planet Foods, a business unit of General Mills, Inc., offers a new line of four organic cereals focused on tastiness. Will Cascadian Farm be…
Observational Research Determines How Consumers Shop
Nowadays, technology allows retailers to conduct “observational” research of consumers. Many projects are being done quietly, because retailers fear a backlash from privacy-minded customers. Do retailers have systems in place…
McDonald’s Rallies Behind Lighter Fare
McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada has become the first McDonald’s to offer a full ‘Lighter Choices’ menu, backing it with one of the biggest mixed-media launch campaigns ever run by the…
Glass Ceiling Broken With New Zale CEO
Zale Corp., the jewelry retailer, has named Mary Forte, 51, to succeed Robert DiNicola, 54, who will retire for a second time on July 31 as CEO but will remain…
Cott Expands South of the Border
Toronto-based Cott Corp. is taking a 90 percent stake in a joint venture with Mexican bottler Embotelladora de Puebla, S.A. de C.V, a privately held supplier of retailer brand carbonated…
Vons Pumps Gas in Vegas
Vons, a division of Safeway, is introducing a combined supermarket, fuel station and convenience store in Las Vegas this week. How big a competitive threat are big box stores (supermarkets,…
Infant Walkers Delay Walking
A newly published study supports evidence that baby walkers can slow infants’ motor skill development, delaying such milestones as crawling, standing alone and walking. Should retailers voluntarily remove babywalkers from…
What Did Martha Know?
A Merrill Lynch & Co. sales assistant who handled a controversial trade of ImClone Systems Inc. stock for Martha Stewart provided new information late last week that contradicts the reason…
Prilosec Steps Closer to OTC Heartburn Relief
An U.S. Food and Drug Administration expert panel voted 16-2 in favor of recommending that the FDA approve over-the-counter sales of the heartburn drug Prilosec. What other significant Rx to…
Grand Jury Implicates Former Rite Aid Execs
A federal grand jury in Pennsylvania and the Securities and Exchange Commission charged three former Rite Aid Corp. executives with masterminding an illegal accounting scheme that triggered the largest corporate…
Ross Stores Pursues National Expansion
Last year, Ross Stores Inc. opened 13 stores in Georgia and the Carolinas, and earlier this month, a 1.3-million-square-foot distribution center in Fort Mill, S.C. The discount retailer expects to…
E-coupons Trade Data for Savings
E-coupons offer the retailer the benefit of knowing something about the customer who redeems them. The ability to match redemption with CoolSavings’ demographic customer base is valuable to retailers developing…
Male Marketing from Mars
In a recent editorial on Just-Food.com, Managing Editor Catherine Sleep takes issue with Nestlé Rowntree’s sexist marketing tactics. Nestlé’s Yorkie bar campaign insists its “not for girls” in a bid…
Pepsi Bottling Group Drops 7 UP for Sierra Mist
The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. will discontinue distribution of 7 UP, effective December 31, as it begins to manufacture, sell and distribute Sierra Mist in all of its U.S. marketing…
Pharmacies Take Part in Diabetes Initiatives
Retail pharmacies and pharmacists across the country continue to make major strides in helping diabetes patients. Are retailers doing enough to address the near epidemic rise of diabetes in the…
Software Facilitates Online Orders for Photos
Consumers using Kodak’s EasyShare software will be able to place the orders online, and then they can either pick up the prints at the stores or have them shipped to…
Kings Finds Buyer, Eagle Food Won’t
Gristede’s Foods says it will buy Kings Super Markets, the only North American company left in Marks & Spencer’s portfolio, for $155 million. In other news, a proposal to sell…
Heinz Introduces Its Organic Ketchup to U.S.
H.J. Heinz Co. is unveiling organic ketchup, which it is selling in Europe and Canada, to the U.S. market. Will Heinz Organic Ketchup find a mass consumer audience or will…
Home Depot Declines Fed’s Paperwork
Home Depot says a policy against sales to the federal government was meant to cut down on paperwork, not skirt U.S. anti-discrimination rules. Is doing business with the federal government…
