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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Starbucks Express Speeds up Caffeine Fix
One can order a caffeine fix even faster at a dozen Starbucks in the Seattle area. Starbucks Express allows a patron to order and pay by cell-phone for a 25-cent…
Responding to Allegations of Wrong-doing
William Brandt, president and chief executive officer Development Specialists Inc., recommends a course of action in response to allegations regarding misbehavior of one’s company or its officers. How should management…
Association Deplores Discrimination of Gays
The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) members announced their support of the position that the primary consideration in decisions about parenting, including conception, child rearing, adoption, visitation and custody is the…
SAB Becomes #2 Brewer with Miller Purchase
South African Breweries Plc agreed to buy U.S. beer giant Miller Brewing in a $5.6 billion deal to catapult the enlarged group to number two in world brewing behind Anheuser-Busch…
Who Pays for Marketing Private Label?
Retailers and manufacturers can agree that private label needs to be marketed “like a brand.” What they can not agree on is who should pick up the marketing tab. Who…
Blockbuster Challenges Netflix
Blockbuster CEO John Antioco hints that the company might be considering an all-you-can-eat DVD-rental offering to counter similar services offered by Netflix.com. Does Netflix pose a serious threat to Blockbuster…
Costco #1 in U.S. Wine Sales
Costco claims to be America’s largest wine retailer. Its sales of wine grew to more than half a billion dollars in 2001, in what the Wine Institute reports as a…
Nico Water Chases Away Cigarette Cravings
Nico Water, bottled water spiked with two or four milligrams of nicotine, is being marketed as a supplement and is due to hit store shelves in July. Should retailers be…
A&P Investigates Its Vendor Allowances Practices
A&P’s investigation into its accounting practices in certain regions related to “the appropriate timing for vendor allowances and the accounting for inventory,” has caused the company to delay filing its…
Walmex Subject of Probe
Mexico’s antitrust agency will scrutinize pricing practices at Wal-Mart de Mexico SA (Walmex), the country’s leading mass merchandiser. Does Wal-Mart engage in unfair practices with its suppliers?
McDonald’s to Explore Selling Non-foods
McDonald’s Corp. is quietly exploring how to use that vast real-estate network of 46 million customers a day at more than 30,000 locations around the globe to sell other items…
The Starbucks Brand Experience
Starbucks Coffee Co. is further advancing the Starbucks coffee clutch culture with its latest product launch, a new board game, “Hear Me Out!” What lessons can other retailers learn from…
The M&M’s Color Purple
Traffic on the official M&M/Mars Web site increased 145 percent during the week ending 19 May. Visitors logged on to participate in the Global Color Vote for the newest M&M…
Meatpacking Trend May Lead Butchers to Slaughterhouse
Major players in the $80 billion U.S. red-meat packing and processing business are pushing into “case-ready” meat products that come to the store prepackaged for retail sale. Is case-ready only…
Online Delivery Service Plans to Expand to Houston
Greg Norrell, president and owner of Austin-based MoreHands.com, plans to expand grocery delivery and maid services into both Dallas and Houston within a year. What do you think of the…
PDX to Supply Retailers with Prescription Drugs
PDX Inc., a Fort Worth pharmaceutical company that has quietly written software for more than 10,000 retailers to verify, fill and bill for prescriptions, is tackling online drug giants via…
Supermarkets to Steal Sales from Car Dealers
A new survey by Accenture predicts that traditional car dealerships in Europe could see dominance of new auto sales cut by 53 percent by the end of the decade. Does…
Coke TipToes into the Chocolate Drink Arena
The Coca-Cola Co. plans to launch a chocolate dairy drink called “Choglit” this summer. Is Coca-Cola’s expanding brand portfolio a requisite requirement for maintaining its position in the marketplace? Does…
Tesco Tests PC Sales in Supermarkets
UK supermarket giant Tesco has begun a trial to sell two models of a PC by UK manufacturer Time in two of its stores. Will U.S. consumers ever be receptive…
Is Kmart Caught in a Doom Loop
When companies run into trouble, the desire for a quick fix can become overwhelming. Lurching from one solution to another, the company never gains any traction. Has Kmart finally learned…
7-Eleven Looks to Cash-In Online
7-Eleven plans to allow its interactive kiosks to accept cash for online purchases later this year. Will 7-Eleven’s interactive kiosk be successful with the convenience store’s customers?
