A cornucopia of new product ranges from P&G’s Baby Stages line to healthful snacks to organic pet supplements. Are new product failure fees or other up-front monies justified? How can retailers better assess which new products to take on and which ones to take a pass on?
A joint venture of Quaker Oats and Swiss health-care giant Novartis AG to develop products called “functional foods” has quietly been scrapped. Is there a mass market for nutraceuticals?
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company and Dunkin’ Donuts have formed a strategic alliance in which Dunkin’ Donuts will open full-service stores in Stop & Shop locations throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Which of the programs that Ahold is testing do you think offers the greatest opportunity for building incremental sales and profits for the retailer?
Federal regulators offer only “superficial” reviews of some GM crops and go too far keeping secrets to protect corporate interests. Considering the criticism from the National Academy of Sciences would you expect consumers to be more resistant to GM crops or products with GM ingredients?
The most brutal battle in the beverage industry is the one for dominance of bottled water. As competition for share of the bottled water category increases, do you expect to see a manufacturer price war?
Of the nearly 1,000,000 people in the Detroit area who suffer from heartburn, almost 75 percent experience nighttime heartburn, a painful and serious health concern. What role should retailers take in consumer education about health issues?
The first study to analyze the combined effects of online, print and TV advertising in a single product campaign found the online component significantly increased the campaign’s measurable brand awareness impact. Should online constitute a larger share of B2C media/marketing budgets?
Kellogg Co., the number-two U.S. cereal maker, will introduce more products into its new distribution system, a move it says should stimulate sales growth this year. Does it make sense for manufacturers to be looking at DSD models in place of warehouse delivery?
Shopping on the Internet is experiencing rapid growth due to a combination of factors led by the convenience that online shopping offers consumers who seek to simplify their day-to-day shopping lifestyles. How do consumers define convenience?
Despite the slump in overall ad spending, agencies that target Hispanic consumers are scrambling to keep up with ever-growing campaigns. How can retailers market themselves more effectively to immigrants and first-generation Hispanic-American consumers?