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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Ad Blackouts Planned for 9/11
Retailers, including Target and Sears, are putting off their advertising plans for the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack. Will retailers and other marketers suffer any lasting adverse effects…
Linux Conversion Saves Amazon Millions
At the LinuxWorld trade show this week, Amazon.com presented that it converted 92 percent of its computer network to the freely shared Linux operating system last September to help the…
Nordstrom Profits Grow in Flat Retail Environment
Nordstrom profit grew by 18.4 percent last quarter, even amid a retail market hit by sluggish consumer spending. Has Nordstrom’s reversed its fortunes? What are the keys for the chain…
Trans Fat Labeling Battle Rages
Consumer groups despair that even if the amount of trans fatty acids is added to nutrition labels after nearly a decade of delay, it may not say enough. How should…
Consumers Save More Outside Grocery Channel
Although the majority of consumers conduct their primary shopping at supermarkets, they expect to save more money and receive better value when shopping at warehouse club stores and supercenters; realizing…
Change Is Good Business
A chief challenge for executives these days is to respect their employees’ apprehension about change while encouraging them to be flexible. Are most upper management executives positive role models for…
Ames Posts Going Out of Business Signs
Ames Department Stores is closing its 327 stores according to a release on the company’s web site. Can regional discount chains make it in today’s competitive marketplace?
Feds Investigate C-Stores for Terrorism Funding
Authorities are investigating more than 500 Muslim and Arab small businesses across the United States to determine whether they are dispatching money raised through criminal activity in the United States…
Potassium-laden Foods May Help Prevent Strokes
People with a low amount of potassium in their diet may have an increased risk of stroke, according to a study published in the August 13 issue of Neurology. …
Sales of Anti-Nuke Pills Climb
Worries about radiation from a terrorist attack or a nuclear-plant accident have triggered a run on the drug potassium iodide. Should retailers/pharmacists be counseling shoppers to not buy certain products?…
Hartz Commemorates 9/11 with Limited Edition Toy
The Hartz Mountain Corporation is issuing a limited edition “HELP A HERO” DOGNY Dog Toy to help raise awareness and money for DOGNY(TM). Is it a good business decision…
Amazon, Target, Marshall Field’s, Mervyn’s All Under One Site
Target Corporation unveiled Target.com, a comprehensive web site with millions of products including integrated offerings from Target, Marshall Field’s, Mervyn’s and Amazon.com. Which property will benefit the most from the…
Reports of Pay-Off to Racketeer Tank Stock
Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd., a Japanese maker of sweet milk-like drinks, denied it had made illegal payoffs to a suspected racketeer, but its shares still fell more than 10 percent…
Consumers Advise Merchants on Selling and Merchandising
In response to an invitation for readers to send their thoughts to wine shops, The Wall Street Journal received hundreds of suggestions the most important being feedback from the merchants…
Atlanta Better Business Bureau Delists Home Depot
Atlanta’s Better Business Bureau has delisted Home Depot as a member for not responding to more than 100 complaint letters, some of which went back as far as April. Does…
Bar Code Deadline Looming for Retailers
Many retailers in the United States and Canada have yet to focus on the 2005 deadline for the 12-digit bar code conversion to 13 digits. Are the concerns about…
CVS Tests Laboratory Testing Card
CVS is testing a pre-paid card for that will enable consumers to get up to 12 medical laboratory tests at a local Quest Diagnostics office, including cholesterol, hepatitis c and…
Multi-Channel Shoppers Too Smart For Retailers’ Own Good
According to a new study from Jupiter Research, “Redefining the Online Retail Consumer”, multi-channel shoppers may be doing a lot of buying but that does not necessarily add up to…
Gap Targets Boomers, Passes on Teens
Admitting that it has done a terrible job of marketing to the 18 – 24 consumer demographic, the Gap has decided to shift its focus back to the baby boomers…
West Nile Virus Affects Retail
The five reported fatalities in Louisiana from West Nile virus has spurred a run on insect repellents and insecticides in retail stores according. How do retailers and marketers of mosquito…
Asians Get Marketers’ Attention, With “Superlatives”
With the current size of the Asian American market at $253 billion in annual expenditures and annual income for one in three Asian Americans at $75,000 or more, this complex…
