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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
A&P Delays Filing 10-K Again
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.. is further delaying the filing of its annual report because of an internal investigation into the grocery store operator’s accounting practices. This is…
Pathmark Faces Strike
Associates at 55 metro New York Pathmark supermarkets voted Monday night to strike if a new contract deal is not by the end of next week. Can employers and unions…
Workfare Staffing Works
Retailers such as Home Depot are turning to “workfare programs” to fill associate openings in stores, which currently has 700 people on its payroll that came from the federal government’s…
2002 Online Sales to Jump 41%
Online B2C sales will jump 41% to $72.1 billion this year, according to a Shop.org survey of more than 100 retailers. What online retail categories do you think are most…
Retailer Sells Ads to Catalog
An unidentified candy company is reportedly paying Too Inc., a clothing chain, $750,000 for five one-page ads to run in upcoming catalogs. What are the benefits/drawbacks to this strategy?
Pharmacists Go to Church
A new program has pharmacists offering one-on-one sessions on medication to people in places of worship. Are retailers fully leveraging the benefits of pharmacist counseling services to build their whole…
OSHA to Develop Guidelines for Grocery Stores
OSHA announced yesterday that grocery stores and poultry processing will be the focus of the next two sets of industry-specific guidelines to reduce ergonomic-related injuries. Should the ergonomic guidelines developed…
Publix, Ostriches and the Reverse Auction Debate
Last week, Publix announced that it had launched a Web site to support its purchasing and reverse auction program. In 2001, Publix conducted 59 reverse auctions to purchase a…
C&S Wholesale Grocers Makes Changes
C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc., the nation’s third largest food wholesale and distribution company, reports the creation of a holding company to oversee the five independent business entities which comprise the…
7-Eleven Makes 7 UP Theirs
7-Eleven Inc. is making 7 UP the recommended lemon-lime fountain soft drink at its convenience stores across the United States under a multiyear deal as it looks to target teens…
Ethnic HBC Attracts Interest
Attracted to the $5.1 billion ethnic personal-care industry, mainstream beauty companies around the world are buying existing black-owned firms and brands to bolster their presence among black consumers. Are African-Americans…
Retailers Push Patriotism
Target, Sears and other leading U.S. retail chains are betting Americans will want to display their patriotism this Independence Day with memories of September 11 still fresh. Does red, white…
Can Target Compete with Wal-Mart?
Each successful step that Target, the nation’s second-biggest discounter, takes brings it to closer confrontation with the world’s biggest retailer/company, Wal-Mart. Can Target Thrive in Wal-Mart’s Cross Hairs?
New G.I. Joes Commemorate D-Day
To commemorate D-Day’s Normandy Invasion, Hasbro Inc. has introduced the G.I. Joe D-Day Collection of four figures who memorialize tales of courage and heroism. Are the events of September…
Apple’s Stores Grow
As Apple Computer’s retail store expansion continues, the company will increasingly turn its attention to converting current Windows-based PC users to Macs. What is your evaluation of Apple’s multi-channel marketing…
One Study Proves Ephedra Safe and Effective
A recent study on the herbal diet remedy of ma huang ephedra and kola nut caffeine found that healthy, overweight people who took the product lost twice as much weight…
Study Examines Out-of-Stock Problem
Increasing product availability on the store shelf can boost retail sales by three percent or $200,000 annually per average supermarket, according to a new study from GMA’s Direct Store Delivery…
Foreign-Born Census Rises 57 Percent Since 1990
The foreign-born population of the United States numbered 31.1 million in 2000. The population represents a 57 percent increase compared to 1990, and a continuation of an upward trend that…
New Project Strives to Foster Creative Thinking
In an effort to invent original new toys, Mattel Inc. has launched an unusual process named Project Platypus aimed at unleashing employees’ creativity. How can retailers foster “out of the…
UK Retailers Consolidate Loyalty Cards
Loyalty Management International plans to launch a loyalty card program this autumn that consolidates those of J Sainsbury, Debenhams, BP and Barclaycard, reports BBC News. Air Miles founder Keith Mills…
Wal-Mart Chief Rates Chain a 6 Out of 10
Lee Scott, president and chief executive officer, Wal-Mart, only gives the retailing giant a six rating out of ten on the performance scale. Women’s Wear Daily followed up on Wal-Mart’s…
