RECENT discussions
Discussions
Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Reaching Latinos Means More than Speaking Spanish
Effectively connecting with Hispanic consumers requires more than simply translating ads and commercials written in English into Spanish, say experts in the field. For many, MasterCard is a proper example…
Focus on Food Not Price
Last week’s announcement that Burger King was lowering prices on additional menu items to compete with McDonald’s dollar offerings had absolutely no effect on Wendy’s, the country’s number three burger…
Crate & Barrel Makes Shopping Fun
There’s a good reason that housewares retailer Crate & Barrel continues to rack up annual double digit sales increases nearly 40 years after it opened its first store. Consumers love…
Mail-Order the Right Rx for Many Consumers
Reuters Health reports that consumers are increasingly turning to mail-order pharmacies for convenience and to save money on prescriptions. According to NDCHealth, a healthcare information service company, mail-order generated 15.7%…
Baby Boomers Going Bust
A new study from the AARP says that many baby boomers are concerned about their ability to finance their way through the golden years ahead. Are the concerns of Baby…
Coca-Cola Looks to Energize KMX Sales Online
Coca-Cola is taking is taking its fight for share of the energy drink market with Red Bull directly to consumers by selling 12- and 24-packs of its KMX energy drink…
Coke’s Fountain Business to Run Hot and Cold
Coca-Cola is the leading supplier of cold fountain beverages and, if the rumors are true, will soon begin working its way to holding that designation in coffee and other hot…
Free Gas Speeds Trip to Customers’ Wallets
Grocery chains such as Kroger and Safeway are just two operators that are using the Fuel Rewards’ customer loyalty program. Fuel Rewards provides consumers with free gas coupons with the…
Wall Street Wants Eckerd to Get Healthier
Despite a third-quarter that produced $89 million in profits, with profits per share up to 30 cents from the previous year’s 13 cents, many on Wall Street are nervous about…
To Heck With Conventional Wisdom
Now is no time to be sticking with conventional wisdom if you want to succeed in business, argues Gary Hamel, founding director and chairman, Strategos. Is Mr. Hamel correct about…
Wal-Mart Stunned By Sales Price Disclosure
Bargain hunters are finding great deals on holiday gifts with comparison shopping web sites such as FatWallet.com and DealofDay.com. That is precisely the problem, according to retailers such as Wal-Mart,…
How Hy Will Capital Expenditures Go
Hy-Vee plans to significantly raise its spending on capital expenditures next year — $190 million up from current levels of approximately $140 – $150 million. The spending boost is the…
Private Label Wines Make an Entrance
As seen at this week’s Private Label Trade Show in Chicago, private label wines are emerging as one of the next growth categories for the segment. Wal-Mart, Kroger and Albertson’s…
Costco’s Chairman Speaks
After 20-years of operation, Costco’s founders have seen their vision translated into 40 million dues paying members that are expected to spend $38 billion this year and $42 billion next…
Union and Safeway Agree: Sell Dominick’s
Reuters reports that the United Food and Commercial Workers representing 8,900 associates and Safeway have agreed on a labor contract that calls for Safeway to try and sell its Dominick’s…
Tropicana and Galaxy are Smoothie Operators
Tropicana and Galaxy Nutritional Foods have announced a joint venture to launch a new soy-based beverage called the Galaxy Ultra Smoothie. The new drink will include a blend of Tropicana…
Cheeseburgers in Paradise and Omaha
According to a New York Times report, Berkshire Hathaway may join the bidding for Burger King. A sales agreement between Burger King parent, Diageo P.L.C. and an investment group headed…
Home Depot Retools Marketing Strategy
Home Depot’s chief executive officer, Robert Nardelli, has hired John “Softer Side of Sears” Costello to develop a marketing program to bring consumers back to Home Depot rather than going…
Clorox Looks for More Allies
Last week’s announcement of a joint venture with Procter & Gamble to develop new products for the Glad brand was the first with more to come, says Craig Sullivan, chairman…
Consumers Starved for Information
The chief executive of GNC, Mike Meyers, told the Pittsburgh Business Times that “About a year ago, we started doing some extensive research with consumers to see what they were…
Consumers Shopping (Online) Earlier for Christmas
While retail stores get ready for the Black Friday traffic jam, online stores are already seeing a spike in holiday shopping traffic according to separate research from Nielsen//NetRatings and ComScore/Media…
