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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Luxury Shoppers Bypass Baubles for Comfort
In the post-September 11, post-NASDAQ-boom world of American wealth, comfort is in, but excess is out. Are a growing number of consumers intentionally trading down on retail purchases?
Wal-Mart Threatens to Cast Shadow on Kroger
Kroger executives no longer view Wal-Mart as only a remote threat. Does Fred Meyer give Kroger the means to compete with the supercenter formats of Wal-Mart and Target?
Jury Awards Millions to Six Women Against Ralphs
A jury has awarded $30.6 million to six women who alleged they were subject to violent behavior and sexual harassment by a store director at Ralphs Grocery Co. Is sexual…
Pharmacies Lace Lollipops with Nicotine
Hundreds of independent druggists across the U.S. are producing new smoking cessation products outside of the umbrella of the FDA, and sales of these items, in the form of flavored…
Self-Serve Cosmetics Stores Outshine Counters
Specialty, stand-alone cosmetics stores have boomed in recent years, threatening a department store staple. Where are specialty stores (aka category killers) the biggest threat to broad line retailers?
US News Ranks MBA Schools
Today’s business schools are extraordinarily diverse, offering students a broad range of both concentrations and learning opportunities. How valuable are advanced degrees in today’s business? Are they worth the…
Snapple Bottles Wax Whimsical
The Snapple Beverage Group is adding more attention-getting elements to the brand’s already offbeat selling efforts on the battleground of the non-carbonated beverage category. Does Snapple have the resources to…
Atlantic Baking Strives for Private Label Cookie Lead
Atlantic Baking Group Inc. will acquire Kellogg Co.’s Bake-Line Products business, and four baking facilities from Consolidated Biscuit Co. in a move to make it an industry leader in store-brand…
Retail Sector Earnings Surpass Expectations
Bed Bath & Beyond and The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. report better-than-expected earnings, which added girth to the retail sector. What are the challenges and opportunities for A&P…
e-tail Grows Stronger in UK than US
Online retailing is growing ten times faster in the UK than it is in the US. Why do you think UK consumers are more active than their US counterparts in…
Organic Consumers Defy Stereotypes
The first priority for organic marketers may be to do away with any notion of a “typical” consumer. Marketing to diversity based on values requires new tactics. How can main…
Business Sought Before Sex
People are looking less for sexually oriented material on the Web and more for business and travel information, according to a new study. What broader issues does the Penn State…
Tesco Goes Local for Global Expansion
As it expands globally, Tesco charts a bold course by pushing localization further than companies in other industries or even its own competitors. Ninety-five percent of employees in Tesco’s foreign…
Smaller Stores Focus on Perishables in Future
Many store designers are now saying they envision smaller stores that will focus on perishables. The trend report also predicts increased popularity of self-checkouts, the advent of mobile commerce, plus…
Researchers Watch Five E-Commerce Trends
E-tailers make consumers happier than offline retailers during fourth quarter. Are consumers getting to the point where they expect traditional retailers to be bricks and clicks operations?
IRS Recognizes Obesity as a Disease
Recognizing obesity as a disease, the IRS says it will begin allowing taxpayers to claim weight loss expenses as a medical deduction. Will the IRS allowing the deduction of…
Customization May Be an Asset Before Its Time
Customization of goods and services for consumers online, one of the chief advantages of e-commerce, is not yet close to being realized. Do consumers really want customization or are they…
Organic Lifestyle Makes a Pesticide-Free Child
A study found that the only preschool child whose urine contained no measurable pesticide metabolites lives in a family who buys exclusively organic produce and does not use any…
Wow! Chips Fail to Fatten up Bottom Line
Frito-Lay pulled Wow! chips from some grocers’ shelves in part of Massachusetts late last summer in what it calls a “reverse market test” to see whether shoppers would miss them…
Target Tries on Cereal Wear
Target stores and General Mills unveiled a new line of General Mills loungewear featuring four well-known breakfast cereals. What do you think of Target’s exclusive apparel deal with General Mills?
Category Managers Serve up e-Profitability
For many pure e-tailers, and even for some retailers with substantial off-line expertise, category management may allay the cost of trying to provide depth of inventory, and rich product information…
