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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Stater Bros Makes Fortune’s List
Jack Brown, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Stater Bros. said in a prepared statement, “Our loyal customers and the great communities we serve made it possible for this ‘Hometown’…
Safeway Shares Dive; A&P May Exit Big Easy!!!!!!!!
Safeway saw its share price plummet yesterday to a 52-week low after warning its earnings would fall as much 11 cents below consensus estimates. In other news, A&P is said…
Starbucks is Seattle’s Best Coffee
Starbucks announced yesterday that it would purchase the North American operations of Seattle Coffee Co. for $72 million. Is this a good deal for Starbucks? Do you think Starbucks should…
The Blue Law Blues
Howard Troxler, columnist, St. Petersburg Times says Florida’s prohibition against selling alcohol before 1:00 PM on Sunday is “the most arbitrary of tyrannies.” Mr. Troxler argues that laws such as…
Jack in the Box to Increase C-Store/Restaurants
The Los Angeles Times reports Jack in the Box is accelerating plans to open more restaurants adjacent to its Quick Stuff convenience stores and retail gasoline operations selling branded fuels…
Civil Libertarians Warn Against RFID Intrusion
Retail marketers say radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology could give stores the ability to provide consumers with more personalized service while gaining greater control of inventory management. Civil libertarians, however, are…
Smokers Continue Smoking
Higher taxes, consumer education programs and ubiquitous no smoking signs have had little to no effect on smoking rates in the US. The CDC reported last week that the…
Consumers Feeling Better About Biotech Food
The Packer reports that two separate research studies conducted by Roper ASW and the International Food Information Council demonstrate that consumers are becoming more accepting of biotechnology enhanced fruits and…
Iquana: Another Other White Meat?
The Washington Post reports “Central Americans hungry for a taste of home” are shelling out $12.50 for a pound of iquana meat. The wholesale price is reported to be $9.00…
Raley’s To Save $50,000+ Per Store/Year On Energy
Raley’s and Hess Microgen announced the successful test of an on-site combined heat and power (CHP) or cogeneration system that the parties predict will save the chain $50,000 per year…
Will Retail Suffer from SARS?
US retailers may begin feeling the affect of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the near future. Among concerns are that the disease’s progression in Asia may affect the US…
Robert Mariano: People Person
Robert Mariano is the chairman and chief executive officer of Roundy’s. He is also, according to all reports, a great communicator and leader. Speculation over what Mr. Mariano has planned…
Scouting Talent Makes the Difference
Daniel Barach, manager of the MLT Capital Hedge Fund, says, “The rarest talent is the ability to assess talent.” That ability to assess talent, many believe, is the reason…
Penn Traffic Takes Different Online Shopping Route
Penn Traffic will launch its Specialty Shop Online service beginning next month, featuring products not generally found in the company’s stores. Nexpansion developed this new online shopping feature for…
Who Wants To Be a Billionaire?
Pepsi is joining the reality television craze with its “Play for a Billion” summer promotion that will culminate in a two-hour WB network special in September. The promotion launching…
Wal-Mart and Albertsons Looking at BJ’s
The Deal reports that Wal-Mart may have made a bid to buy the BJ’s Wholesale Club chain and that Albertsons is another rumored suitor. Investors are unhappy with BJ’s…
Old Age Not Good for Pizza Sales
Mike Smith, a restaurant analyst at Fahnestock & Co. told Reuters, “On a longer-term basis, they (pizzerias) probably suffer more than other fast food companies from the aging of America.”…
7-Eleven’s PL Import Beer to Debut
7-Eleven will roll out its Santiago private label beer in June to about half of its stores in the US. The product will be brewed by SABMiller for 7-Eleven at…
Former Rite Aid CEO Settles
Martin Grass, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Rite Aid has agreed to settle a lawsuit by paying $1.45 million to shareholders who alleged the chain’s books were…
Retailers Broaden Options with Bandwidth
A report by Forrester Research says online retailers have a significant opportunity to drive greater sales through consumers with broadband connections if sites are upgraded to take advantage of the…
Low Prices and Bad Medicine Online
The good news for consumers is that they can save a bundle of money buying prescriptions online. The bad news is that fifty percent of online pharmacies are not properly…
