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Retail Paradox Weekly
Retail News Analysis by RSR Research
January 27, 2009
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How to Win: Sainsbury Says 'Make Shopping Easier'
By Brian Kilcourse, Managing Partner
1/27/2009
When it comes to recent retailer performance, the word “dismal” seems to come up a lot. Like everyone, we at RSR have been thinking a lot about it. As RSR’s own Paula Rosenblum rhetorically asked, “How Do You Talk about Winners When Almost No One Is?” (Retail Paradox Weekly 1/6/2009 ).
Winners have a knack for finding ways to get ahead and stay ahead, and they have some things... More
Of Online Albatrosses and Unintended Consequences
By Nikki Baird, Managing Partner
1/27/2009
Evan Schuman at StoreFrontBackTalk ran a story on Canadian Tire’s decision to cease selling online, asking “Is this the next growth phase for E-Commerce or is this more of a ‘We can’t afford anymore to subsidize this bits-and-byte annoying albatross’?” Evan and I have discussed multiple times and remain in violent agreement that “merged channel” efforts, as Evan calls it, are a critical capability for retailers who want to stay relevant to their customers in the future.
But the point he makes in the article – that while Canadian Tire’s situation may be unique, there appear to be... More
Retail Metrics that Matter: Loaded Gross Margin or 'TCO of Inventory'
By Paula Rosenblum, Managing Partner
1/27/2009
Recently I’ve gotten involved with the American Apparel Producers Network (AAPN). I’m sure some of you are scratching your heads saying “There are still American apparel producers?” In fact there are, and members of the AAPN include companies responsible for everything from “dirt to shirt.” The membership would love to see you, the retailers, sourcing more merchandise from this hemisphere. This concept leads to many interesting conversations.
We’ve talked before about the apparent necessity... More
A New 'Biggest Loser' in the World of Credit Card Breaches
By Steve Rowen, Managing Partner
1/27/2009
We won’t know with certainty for some time, but it appears quite possible that a new credit card breach will usurp the 2007 TJX data breach as the largest scale theft of customer payment information yet.
Heartland Payment Systems Inc. disclosed last week that criminals had infiltrated its network and planted... More
Copyright © 2009 RSR Research LLC. RSR is a tradename of Retail Systems Research LLC. All Rights Reserved
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