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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Women at the Top
A new study from the nonprofit research group, Catalyst, says that women remain underrepresented in top jobs in corporate America.Why are not more women in top corporate positions within retail…
Home Depot Settles Out of Court
It is going to cost $3.8 million now and $20 million more over the next three years, but Home Depot has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit brought against the…
TV Takes Foot Traffic Seriously
A retailer in the UK is installing plasma television screens into the floor of stores, says Ananova.com. The screens will run advertisements and promote products on sale and special offers…
Grocers Try to Round Up Houston Market
Long-time Houston area retailers such as Kroger and Randalls as well as relative newcomers such as H.E.B. and Wal-Mart are vying to capture a greater share of this diverse and…
Internet Costs States $26.6 Billion
A University of Tennessee study has projected that states will lose $26.6 billion this year and almost $55 billion in 2011 if the federal government does not repeal its moratorium…
Homeland Security: Will That Be a Credit or Debit Card?
The Defense Department, FBI and Transportation Security Administration are working on data capture and analysis systems that will allow them to review consumer transactions and other information to ferret out…
Segregation Hits the Produce Department
New federal guidelines stipulate that organic and non-organic foods shall be kept separated in stores, leading some to wonder if this will give either category of products a boost up…
When I’m 104
Dr. Robert Goldman, clinical assistant professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine Advancements at Oklahoma State sees humans living to 120 years of age with advancements in areas such…
Target Takes the Hudson River Line
The country’s number two mass merchant “has docked a Target-themed boat on the Hudson River at Chelsea Piers and will open it to shoppers for the next two weeks, beginning…
Good News, Bad News Day for Fleming
Yesterday, Fleming announced that Save Mart Supermarkets has agreed to buy 28 Food4Less stores in California. They also made a company announcement that they are under informal investigation by the…
Dominick’s: Let the Takeover Speculation Begin
Safeway’s labor problems in Chicago have led to widespread speculation about the eventual fate of the Dominick’s chain. A sale to Supervalu, Kroger, Ito-Yokado, Schnuck Markets, Meijer Stores as well…
The Good News and Nothing But from FMI
The Food Marketing Institute’s new magazine, ADVANTAGE, will “offer up nothing but warmed over positioning”, writes Ryan Mathews in an editorial on the Grocery Headquarters web site. Are trade associations…
Kmart As Vendor Advocate
Bob House is “the point man for communicating with the vendors caught in the gears of the Kmart (Chapter 11 bankruptcy) drama.” As Kmart’s vice president/voice of the vendor, Mr…
Staples Does the Right Thing
Staples has announced that it would seek to increase the average recycled content in its paper products to 30 percent from its current 10 percent, says the Boston Globe. What…
J.D. Power Ranks Customer Satisfaction
J.D. Power and Associates has announced that Kohl’s and Wal-Mart were given the highest customer satisfaction ratings for moderately priced and discount department stores in its newly released, 2002 Department…
Water + Flavors + Vitamins = Big $
As expected, Coca-Cola has formally announced that it is launching new Dasani waters in four flavored and vitamin-enhanced varieties. The new Dasani NutriWater items will initially be test-marketed in the…
Sam’s Club Needs More Business (Customers)
If Wal-Mart has a weakest link in its US business, that would be the retailer’s Sam’s Club unit, says Bloomberg News. The warehouse club division represents 13 percent of Wal-Mart’s…
Tesco’s Alternative Format
The UK-based supermarket giant, Tesco, has opened a store that is “geared solely to health and natural alternative products”. Tesco operates the store under the Nutri Center banner. The store…
Whole Health Manager Kicks the Habit
United Supermarkets’ whole-health manager has given up smoking after 26 years. She along with others in the community are taking part in a four-week smoking cessation program sponsored by Tobacco…
The Incentive Nation
From the discount store to the auto dealership to the bank, consumers buy only when there is a deal. What will happen when consumers no longer have access to special…
Operators Are Waiting For Your Call
Infomercials are running at all hours of the day and night selling products on as many channels as your satellite dish or digital cable can provide. In fact, today nearly…
