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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Convenience Drives New Products at FMI
Food makers are putting their efforts into developing pre-mixed or bundled foods that travel easily and offer consumers a greater variety of flavors. Which new products being featured at the…
Value and Nutrition Drive Shopping Decisions
American consumers continue to incorporate economizing behaviors in their weekly grocery shopping, according to the latest Food Marketing Institute trend report. Which of the trends or other findings in…
Grocery Loses Consumer Shopping Trips to Supercenters
Consumers still shop in traditional grocery stores, but the annual number of trips households make to such stores is continuing to decline, according to the latest “channel blurring” study from…
Retailers, Producers Find Growth in Cooperation
According to executives at a consumer goods conference in Barcelona last week, a lack of cooperation is a frequent obstacle to supply chain improvements needed to meet the profit expectations…
Minute Maid Plans Major Fruitopia Relaunch
Minute Maid’s Fruitopia brand is scheduled for a major relaunch backed by what may be more than $10 million in marketing support. Will Fruitopia find a new and larger…
Michelob Bets on Low-Carb Beer
Anheuser-Busch plans to roll out its “low-carbohydrate” Michelob Ultra in Chicago, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and the rest of Florida on May 13. Will Michelob Ultra help to increase
…
Magazine Buyers’ Make Good Grocery Store Customers
A new market-basket study, commissioned by Magazine Publishers of America, provides evidence that magazine purchasers shop more often and spend significantly more than non-magazine buying shoppers. Which of the MPA…
Wireless Registers Pose Security Vulnerability
Best Buy Co. deactivated its wireless temporary cash registers that transmit information via LAN connections this week after being alerted to a potential security problem via an anonymous posting on…
Down Home Doughnuts Win Hearts
Krispy Kreme opened its first outlet in Minneapolis last week. Strong media
support helped lure some 600 devotees, who waited in line for hours, many overnight. How has…
New Loblaw Stores, Cost Cuts Boost Earnings
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. says that first-quarter earnings rose 36 percent as it opened 14 new supermarkets and cut costs. What makes Loblaw’s successful?
Schnuck Markets Purchases a Dozen Seessel’s Stores
Schnuck Markets announces its agreement to acquire 10 Seessel’s stores in Shelby County, Tenn. and two in Desoto County, Miss., from Albertson’s, Inc. Will Schnuck Markets succeed with the…
Generics Forecast Beefs up for Medicare Patients
The cost of prescriptions for the Medicare population could be reduced by as much as $14 billion next year through the greater use of generic drugs. Should pharmacy retailers support…
Operational Issues, Politics Spill Body Shop Profits
The Body Shop reports a drop in full year pretax profit and trouble implementing new strategies, leading some analysts to downgrade forecasts. What lessons can drug, grocery and mass retailers…
Grocer Implements Payment by Fingerprint
Yesterday, the West Seattle Thriftway became the first in the country to unveil a system by Indivos Corp. that allows customers to pay by finger touch to an electronic sensor,…
Supervalu Expands Target Supply Agreement
Supervalu Inc. says that it has expanded an agreement with Target Corp. to supply groceries by the end of this summer to 74 SuperTarget stores in 15 states as well…
Report Reviews Marketing Efforts Aimed at Kids
The U.S. Kids Market, a new report from Packaged Facts available at MarketResearch.com, outlines the demographic trends within the country’s population of children and reviews successful marketing efforts aimed at…
Age, Gender Impact Maturing Adults’ Food-itudes
A survey released today shows that America’s “maturing adults” aged 55 to 74 are best targeted by age and gender, as opposed to income and education. How will the growing…
Academy Disseminates Childhood Nutritional Findings
The Academy of Pediatric Nutrition, a global group of nutritional experts, gathered at the third annual meeting in London to discuss the impact of vitamin and mineral deficiencies in infants…
Wal-Mart Participates in Women’s Health Care Month
Wal-Mart will recognize Women’s Health Care Month on May 4 with free educational handouts on osteoporosis, heat therapy demonstrations and information disseminated by its pharmacists. What are the keys for…
New Products Get a Running Start at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart is highly cost-efficient venue for marketers to test drive new products. Companies are drawn to its marketer-friendly centralized buying system and its lack of new-product shelving or slotting fees…
Microsoft Edits Witness List
Attorneys for Microsoft told U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that eight of the 17 witnesses remaining on its list would not take the stand, including four Microsoft executives. What should…
