Retail Industry Archive

Proctor & Gamble, the manufacturer of products that adorn the aisles of stores around the world, is making a push lately to acquire and open its own retail outlets. It makes sense that a mega company with so many different brands highlights those goods in a direct-to-consumer format, but P&G needs to be careful that it doesn’t step on the toes of its valuable retail partners. The...

More...

This summer is different in so many ways its hard to count them all, although the recession and El Nino are ultimately responsible for a lot of what’s going on, and even though El Nino will eventually fade, a study from Information Resources, Inc., suggests that effects of the economic downturn will remain as new consumer habits to which retailers will have to adapt. The good news is, new...

More...

In his first conference call as Supervalu CEO, Craig Herkert, shared 10 observations about company that are framing the strategic vision he is forming. In the conference call, he detailed immediate initiatives that he had launched to improve the customer’s perceptions of Supervalu. The observations, which represent something of a bridge between the immediate, tactical changes he is...

More...

Wal-Mart is having a hard time keeping up with demand for its $298 Compaq computers and has had to make adjustments as it has dealt with the various dimensions of the promotion. For one thing, it has had to tweak the pricing on its web site. Consumers who check won’t see the $298 price but rather a notice saying: Price varies by store. Wal-Mart spokesperson Melissa O’Brien explained that...

More...

Office supply retailers are having a rough time in the recession, and even though they are trying to generate some excitement for the back to school season, numbers posted by Office Depot and its rivals show how tough the competitive landscape is. Not only are they competing with each other but with the likes of Sam’s Club, which is pushing its business services, and Costco, which is...

More...

Microsoft is coming closer to its much-anticipated retail launch, which is touted as a direct assault on Apple’s highly successful retail stores. But the software giant faces a formidable challenge — to woo customers away from Apple Stores its roll out must be super impressive, and it needs to convince PC consumers that they can purchase products at the Microsoft stores that they...

More...

Craig Herkert, Supervalu’s new CEO had “unacceptable” results to convey as he conducted his first analysts call but promised a fresh approach at the company, one less focused on store remodeling and corporate integration in the wake of it’s acquisitions from Albertsons, and more focused on the customer. Supervalu posted sales of $12.7 billion in the first quarter, down five percent from...

More...

Although a lot off attention has been paid to affluent consumers turning to private label products in the recession, an analysis of the available data by Todd Hale, senior vice president, consumer and shopper insights at The Nielsen Co., demonstrates that it’s really the middle-consumer that is increasing purchases of store brands. Wal-Mart’s recent private label initiatives suggest it...

More...

Wal-Mart and Best Buy seem intent on getting into a battle of the low-cost laptops going into back-to-school and, it seems likely, continuing through holiday. As reported by Bloomberg and others, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said in a Las Vegas interview that the retailer is testing a program that provides laptops for free or for prices ranging up to $399 if shoppers sign up for two years of...

More...

Target is improvising when it comes to food, and a new store in the Bronx is evidence to that effect. One among 23 new Target locations, it is in the group of smallest stores debuting, yet the Bronx Target store contains more food than the expanded pantry general merchandise format the company was rolling out until just a few months ago, before it announced what it now refers to as an expanded...

More...