RPW 12-16-08

Retail Paradox Weekly

Retail News Analysis by RSR Research

December 16, 2008

Top Stories of 2008

Welcome to the last issue of RPW this year, our annual “Top Five” list of the most-read stories from the past 12 months. Which headlines grabbed your attention most? Which retailers and technology vendors are we all most interested in learning from? Our list might surprise you - none are doom and gloom stories.

The list was compiled by analyzing the click-through rates of every story the RSR analysts wrote this year, and despite the economic rollercoaster that has been 2008, we certainly hope you’ve enjoyed reading our analysis and that it has been a helpful asset to you and your business partners.

We’re living through one of the most challenging times in our lifetimes. The media is filled with stories of store closings, financial malfeasance at the highest levels, and bankruptcies and bail-outs of epic proportions. Behind those stories are the most interesting ones - those of retailers who survive and will ultimately thrive.

We’d like to thank you once again for your continued readership and loyalty, and to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!

#5: SAP vs. the Competition: A Tale of Switching Costs

By Nikki Baird, Brian Kilcourse, Paula Rosenblum and Steve Rowen
Orignally published on 5/13/2008

RSR was seriously challenged to write this article, because we couldn’t figure out how to do it without seeming biased. We’ve done business with many of the new generation of retail application software roll-ups, and in the interest of full disclosure, one is SAP. We prefer not to write about vendors so that we can maintain our clients’ trust – but we do write about big vendors and their direction, because they simply have so much impact they can’t be ignored.

With that as backdrop, the entire team at RSR is... More

#4: HP Buys EDS: What Does it Mean for Retailers?

By Paula Rosenblum, Managing Partner
Originally published on 5/13/2008

Amid all the talk of Blockbuster threatening to buy Circuit City (not gonna go there today) comes a true blockbuster deal. Hewlett-Packard (HP) has announced its intention to buy Electronic Data Systems (EDS) for an all cash deal of $12.8 billion. While some of us may sit here and wonder just how HP managed to find that much cash just lying around, most of us will more likely wonder “what does this mean to me?”

We know what the deal means to HP... More

#3: Oracle Update: The Titanic Turns

By Nikki Baird, Managing Partner
Originally published on 4/22/2008

I have never been on an aircraft carrier, but I have seen videos of what it looks like when one turns – turns hard. From the perspective of someone on board, it starts out very subtly – you are hardly aware that the turn is happening. Then all of a sudden, things start sliding. You become aware of a distinct tilt.

The tilt is on at Oracle. The question is... More

#2: The Next Massive Credit Card Breach Hits: Hannaford Brothers

By Steve Rowen, Managing Partner

Originally published on 3/18/08

Maine-based Hannaford Brothers has just announced that it is the victim of the next big customer data breach. But this one may prove to be quite different.

The chain is owned and operated by Belgium’s Delhaize Group. Hannaford Brothers operates... More

And the #1 Story of 2008: Six Big Challenges for Wal-Mart

By Nikki Baird, Managing Partner
Originally published on 4/15/2008

Last week at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona, one of the last speakers was Jack Shewmaker, member of Wal-Mart’s Board of Directors, and former executive. It was shame he was last, though I suspect that the conference organizers put him near the end in order to try to hold people through to the last day. It didn’t work, unfortunately, and there were few people to hear his message.

In his very folksy way, complete with... More

Wishing Everyone a Safe, Healthy, and Wonderful Holiday Season. See You Again in 2009,

Your Friends at RSR Research