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Aldi Continues Outback Expansion
Germany’s global supermarket chain, Aldi, continues its Australian expansion. What makes Aldi successful where other operators are not?
Merrill Raises Winn-Dixie Mid-Term Rating
Merrill Lynch raised the mid-term stock rating on grocery store chain Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. to “neutral” from “reduce,” noting that the business had stabilized and downside appears limited, although it…
Inner-City Grocer Prospers, Eyes Future
A decade ago, Jonathan F. Johnson wasn’t sure the Community Pride chain of four inner-city supermarkets he operated would last a year. Today, Community Pride, among the country’s largest minority-owned…
Sears CEO Earns Bonus Despite Profit Fall
Sears, Roebuck & Co. Chairman Alan Lacy’s bonus slid 35 percent last year even though Sears’ earnings per share declined by more than 40 percent in 2001. How can…
Walmart.com Tests Windows-less PC Sales
Walmart.com recently began marketing a Microtel personal computer without an operating system and video monitor for just under $400. Where do you think Wal-Mart is heading with this concept should…
Scanner Collects Pay Dirt from Driver’s Licenses
Driver License scanners can validate licenses and identify underage consumers. They can also collect specific personal information, which may be turned into targeted marketing campaigns. Where do you come down…
Americans Toast Easter with Wine
Eighty percent of Americans celebrate Easter, and 20 percent prefer wine with Easter dinner. What wine related opportunities are there for building incremental business (in and out of the category)…
Consumers Imitate Spring Indoors and Out
Nearly two-thirds of Americans follow a spring-cleaning ritual, with the kitchen and living rooms getting the most attention. Mass merchandisers use household cleaning products as a featured traffic driver…
Grocers Put Brakes on Cart-napping
A shopping cart anti-theft device, which stores have been testing for months, is ready to go statewide. Should stores actively prosecute shopping cart (trolley to some) thieves?
Yahoo Shopping Volume Surges During Sale
Yahoo! Inc.’s special three-day sale offered last week produced a 25 percent increase in gross merchandise sales over normal levels on Yahoo Shopping. What can be learned from the…
Mystery Shopping Draws Blank on Improvements
Gallup research finds that doing spot-checks in a company’s stores by surveyors posing as shoppers doesn’t work. Is Mystery Shopping a valid tool for evaluating a shopper’s experience and customer…
Bush Proposes Tax-Cuts for Small Businesses
President Bush’s newly proposed tax cuts package targets small businesses and would cost more than $117 billion over 10 years. As the cuts may deepen federal budget deficits and undermine…
Family Dollar’s New-Store Sales Increase
Family Dollar Stores Inc.’s new stores are performing better than a year ago, with new-store sales running at about 86 percent of the average existing store, compared to a low-80…
Unattended Allergies, Colds Drip into Sinusitis
The incidence of sinusitis appears to be increasing. According to a survey of consumers and primary care physicians, 42 percent of people surveyed reported having at least one sinus infection…
Consumer Products Hit Birdie with Earnings
U.S. makers of consumer products ranging from bleach to golf balls issued an upbeat earnings guidance, led by Procter & Gamble Co., which said it would return to double-digit earnings…
Nearly Two-Thirds of Americans Cell-Phone Home
The latest study shows a 29 percent growth rate for cell phone ownership over the past two years with almost two-thirds of American adults owning a cell phone. What business…
Fleming Strikes Supply Agreement with Albertson’s
Fleming has reached an agreement with Albertson’s, Inc., to provide procurement and distribution services to Albertson’s stores in two states. What do you make of this agreement? Do you…
Cosmeceuticals Face $5 Billion in Sales
Baby boomers are opening their wallets to an increasingly sophisticated array of anti-aging products, creating a billion-dollar market in so-called “cosmeceuticals.” What do retailers need from manufacturers to take advantage…
Test Kitchens Seek Convenience for People on the Go
Twenty percent of all meals are now consumed in a car and about 47 percent of food expenditures are made on food away from home. We’ve become a fast-food…
Discounters Bask in Glow of Wal-Mart, Target
More than a half-dozen discount- and value-priced chains are faring as well or better than the Wal-Mart/Target juggernauts. Which discount/mass retailer not named Wal-Mart or Target impresses you the most…
IGA Courts Town Shoppers
T.W. Johnston & Sons is content to build IGA stores in small towns. Its latest acquisition pits itself directly against a new Farmer Jack that sits across the street. It…
