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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Male Marketing from Mars
In a recent editorial on Just-Food.com, Managing Editor Catherine Sleep takes issue with Nestlé Rowntree’s sexist marketing tactics. Nestlé’s Yorkie bar campaign insists its “not for girls” in a bid…
Pepsi Bottling Group Drops 7 UP for Sierra Mist
The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. will discontinue distribution of 7 UP, effective December 31, as it begins to manufacture, sell and distribute Sierra Mist in all of its U.S. marketing…
Pharmacies Take Part in Diabetes Initiatives
Retail pharmacies and pharmacists across the country continue to make major strides in helping diabetes patients. Are retailers doing enough to address the near epidemic rise of diabetes in the…
Software Facilitates Online Orders for Photos
Consumers using Kodak’s EasyShare software will be able to place the orders online, and then they can either pick up the prints at the stores or have them shipped to…
Kings Finds Buyer, Eagle Food Won’t
Gristede’s Foods says it will buy Kings Super Markets, the only North American company left in Marks & Spencer’s portfolio, for $155 million. In other news, a proposal to sell…
Heinz Introduces Its Organic Ketchup to U.S.
H.J. Heinz Co. is unveiling organic ketchup, which it is selling in Europe and Canada, to the U.S. market. Will Heinz Organic Ketchup find a mass consumer audience or will…
Home Depot Declines Fed’s Paperwork
Home Depot says a policy against sales to the federal government was meant to cut down on paperwork, not skirt U.S. anti-discrimination rules. Is doing business with the federal government…
Pfizer May Sell Candy and Razors Tomorrow
Pfizer Inc. will be free later this week to shave off more than an estimated five billion dollars worth of razors, gum and mints after two years of waiting. What…
Kmart Grabs Online Spotlight from BlueLight
Kmart reintroduced BlueLight.com with the Kmart brand name and URL on Tuesday. What do you think of Kmart’s latest action concerning BlueLight.com?
Urbanites Migrate to Exurbs and New Sunbelt
Census 2000 reveals that a second wave of one of the most significant demographic trends of the latter half of the 20th century, white migration, is occurring today to the…
Dominick’s Gets Safewayed
Safeway Inc. is cutting dozens of jobs at Dominick’s Finer Foods’ headquarters, which it acquired nearly four years ago. It aims to consolidate buying, marketing and other functions at its…
Snapple Bags Deli Business
As part of one of its quirky marketing efforts, Snapple has teamed with eight Long Island and Queens, N.Y., delis to package sandwiches in paper bags bearing pictures of Snapple…
FDA to Regulate Tobacco if Bill Passes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration would be given the authority to regulate tobacco products under legislation introduced by Democratic Senators Kennedy, DeWine and Durbin. Should the FDA be responsible…
Shaws’ Cuts HR Costs Online
In just two weeks last fall, 20,000 employees of Shaws’ Supermarkets enrolled for health and dental insurance and flexible spending accounts over the Internet saving the chain $150,000 in administrative…
Exchanges: Will They Survive or Die?
Of the nearly 200 transactional e-marketplaces in the summer of 2000, which were forecast to double by 2004 fewer than 100 remain today. Many of the survivors have changed their…
Omaha Steaks Raise the Rent on Prepared Meals
Omaha Steaks is at the forefront of a new trend, which food industry experts say is invigorating the $85 billion home-meal replacement market and positioning it for a larger share…
Nestle Increases Its Share of Global Ice Cream
Nestle SA has agreed to take control of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. by combining its U.S. ice cream business with the U.S. market leader in a transaction worth about…
Soymilk Maker Looks to Healthy Market Opportunity
SoyToy is a new product that aims to capitalize on the rapidly growing soy-foods trend in the U.S. Will mainstream consumers be attracted to homemade beverage machines such as the…
Vacationers Bring Work Along
Despite the drawbacks, taking work along on vacation is a new fact of life for many people. Do you continue to do business while on vacation? Should businesses discourage this…
Survey Says Consumers Are Brand Loyal
Nearly half of respondents to a new GMA survey (49 percent), which explores how national brands influence purchasing decisions among Americans, indicate that a familiar brand name was the first…
Associates’ Smiles Promote Sales
More than 4,000 retail executives and associates surveyed recently echoed the notion that to be a success in retail, sales associates have to have direct contact with customers. How can…
