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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Analysts No Better Than Groundhogs Predicting Future
A column in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contends that when it comes to predicting the future, Wall Street analysts and groundhogs looking for their shadows have a lot in common. What…
Heinz Baby Food is GMO Free
Heinz is being applauded by Greenpeace and others for guaranteeing it is not using any genetically modified ingredients in its baby foods. Heinz, along with Nestle, Mead Johnson and other…
Sell Duck and Then Duck
Industry statistics show duck consumption increased 11.5 percent between 1995 and 1998. Animal activists, however, have protested the handling of ducks farmed for their meat and foie gras and last…
Customers Rescue Kmart in PA
The Kmart store in Clinton County, Penn. was on the list of stores slated to close as the retailer seeks to emerge from bankruptcy, but Kmart has decided to keep…
The Receipts Have It: Men More Romantic
Seventy-five percent of men plan to buy a Valentine’s Day gift compared to 70 percent of women, according to a research study conducted for Wal-Mart. Men will also spend much…
Is Consumer Gloom Infectious
Earlier in the week in his The Practical Futurist column, Michael Rogers wrote, “Over the past couple of weeks I’ve noticed that almost no one I talk to is optimistic…
Kellogg’s Raising Cereal Prices
Citing higher prices for commodities such as corn, wheat and cocoa, Kellogg’s has announced it would take the price of some cereals up an average of two percent. Will Kellogg’s…
Kids Vegging Out
Eleven percent of girls and five percent of boys 13 to 17 say they do not eat meat, according to a report on Farmpage.com. How will the increase in vegetarianism…
British Shoppers Need to Get Tough
Britain’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is encouraging consumers to be more assertive in their dealings with retailers with a new campaign, ‘It is Your Call’, reports the BBC. How…
The State of the Union
In the annual state of the union address, Mr. Bush called for Congress to approve his tax-cut plan to boost the economy and put the unemployed back to work. What…
Milk is All the Rage with Dr. Pepper/7 Up
Dr. Pepper/7 Up is going into the dairy business. The company has announced plans to introduce five flavored milk products under the Raging Cow brand beginning in March.
Product Lifecycle Planning for Sales and Profits
An article in ACNielsen’s Consumer Insight publication suggests that retailers use a product lifecycle planning approach to use price more effectively to drive sales and profits. What is the most…
Dove Hair Care to Fly in North America
Unilever will spend up to $110 million to launch its Dove hair care products line in North America, reports Reuters. The company is looking to build on the brand’s 50-year…
Profits are Casualties of Diaper Wars
Kimberly-Clark, manufacturer of Huggies, Pull-Ups and Goodnites, reported flat sales and lower profits for the fourth quarter due, in part, to the company’s battle with Procter & Gamble for the…
What’s In A Name
Philip Morris is no longer Philip Morris. It is now Altria Group after the company officially changed its name yesterday to broaden the corporate umbrella that covers its tobacco and…
Branding Begins at Home
A Strategy + Business article, begins, “Conventional wisdom says branding is for external communication; it aims to influence current and prospective customers. But this view of branding is too narrow,…
Marsh Gets Out of Home Delivery
Marsh Supermarkets announced that it is closing its Fresh Express home delivery service. What are your thoughts on Marsh’s decision to close its Fresh Express service? Is home delivery of…
Giant Eagle Merges Into Convenience Store Business
Giant Eagle is going into the convenience store business with its merger with the Crossroads convenience store chain. The 26 Crossroads’ stores will be jointly owned and operated by Giant…
A-B Wins Battle of the Ads
The Ozzy and the Obsbourne clan may have received the most pre-game attention but it was Anheuser-Busch’s Clydesdales and a zebra that won the competition for the best Super Bowl…
Cashiers Suspected in Identity Theft
Cashiers and clerks at retail establishments in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut tri-state area reportedly took part in a massive identity theft scheme that stole the credit card…
Grocery Stores Watch Market Baskets Go Elsewhere
The Food Institute has released a new sales report that says “Supermarket sales during December posted the largest decline since March of 1998, dropping 1.5%.” And that ,”A good portion…
