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Commentary and Discussion From the Retail Community
Consumer Confidence Slips Online
Holiday e-shopping snafus, and concern over risks associated with online buying eroded consumer confidence in the Internet, and more people expect to spend less on the Net in the upcoming…
Demographic Composition Shifts Tastes
While demographic swings will affect all future consumer markets, they’re already beginning to change foods, ingredients and the amount of time spent in the kitchen. What factors will have the…
Kmart.com Vies with BlueLight.com
Kmart’s Web store, BlueLight.com, is testing whether more people would access the site under the Web address Kmart.com, Should BlueLight.com be renamed Kmart.com?
Sony Designs Product Line for Target
Sony Corp. will design an exclusive product line for Target Stores and target.com that will be unveiled this spring. Is Target on target with the Sony deal? Should retailers look…
Home Depot Launches Smaller Urban Stores
Home Depot is rolling out the first of its smaller-size stores in Brooklyn, New York, in an effort to break into new markets. What opportunities/challenges do you see for Home…
Trade Dimensions Delivers On-Premise Information
Trade Dimensions has syndicated its new On-Premise database, which delivers universal coverage of On-Premise outlets where liquor, wine and/or beer are consumed. How should retailers go about assessing competitive threats?…
Analysts Reflect on Safeway
Sales have slowed at Safeway, one of the dominant supermarket chains in the country, which aggravates concerns that Wal-Mart may take over the industry. However, Safeway’s annual earnings growth per…
Niche Markets Boost Nutrition Bar Sales
Estimated annual sales for nutrition bars exceeded one billion dollars for the second year in a row. With limited space and an explosion of SKUs, how can retailers manage…
CNS Stifles Snores with New Throat Spray
CNS Inc. has developed a snore-relief throat spray for the more than 85 million Americans who snore. With the reported prevalence of sleep disorders in today’s society, should retailers manage…
Families Members Need to Schedule Appointments
More people are putting family and loved ones on their calendars and organizers to keep relationships from falling between the cracks. How can organization’s train employees to become better…
Leaders Motivate Workers with Good Vibes
Emotions and moods spread around work like wildfire, and it’s usually the person at the top setting the tone, according to a new best seller. Leader must prime positive feelings…
Ailing Chains Launch Marketing Campaigns
In the continued struggle to identify themselves, Kmart Corp. and Gap Inc. have launched new marketing campaigns. Are retailers such as Gap Stores and Kmart demonstrating that they have…
Kava Controversy Continues with FDA Advisory
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a consumer advisory linking use of kava to liver toxicity just a month after an U.S. herbal supplement industry review declared herb safe…
Walgreen Boasts Profit on Market Share
Walgreen Co. reported a 10 percent rise in quarterly earnings as competitive pricing and better store locations helped it to lure customers from rivals and gain market share. What are…
Shell to Lubricate Lead with Pennzoil-Quaker State
Shell Oil Co.’s plan to acquire Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. for $1.8 billion will outfit its vast chain of gasoline stations with a major motor-oil brand and a network of oil-change…
Juice TV Show, Ads Aim to Squeeze out Consumers
Tropicana plans to spend almost two million dollars, what some companies spend to air a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl, to air an entire television show targeted at orange…
Matsushita Develops Cleaning Robot
Matsushita Electric Industrial, the maker of Panasonic-brand products, will test a prototype of a vacuuming robot with an autonomous control system in Japanese households this May. What impact will robotics…
Shoppers Plan to Spend More on Easter Gifts
Shoppers are planning to spend 29 percent more on Easter gifts this year. Does IMRA’s research have implications for the state of retailing going beyond the Easter holiday?
Drought Lifts Sales of Washers, Toilets
Home Depot Inc. and Sears, Roebuck and Co. are among stores cashing in on drought fallout as consumers seek water-saving fixtures. Do worsening drought conditions pose similar types of problems…
Bingo!, Cries One Creative Operator
In an era when department store dining rooms are nearly extinct, Bingo players meet twice weekly at the Cream City Cafeteria for camaraderie and to compete for prize packages. How…
Online Surpasses Catalog at J. Crew
For the first time, J. Crew’s Web sales eclipsed its catalog sales. What broader implications arise from J. Crew’s February results announcement?
