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Retail Paradox Weekly
Retail News Analysis by RSR Research
February 17, 2009
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How Can We Not Comment: Microsoft Opens Retail Stores
By Nikki Baird, Managing Partner
2/17/2009
With Microsoft's announcement last week that they are opening retail stores, nearly every pundit and blogger has piled on across both retail and consumer electronics. So even though this is momentous news, it was tempting to pass it by - how can you top requests for Clippy to be the greeter? What new light could we possibly shed?
Well, it appears that... More
How a Company's Culture Can Affect Efforts to Integrate Channels
By Brian Kilcourse, Managing Partner
2/17/2009
RSR’s research in the past couple of years has repeatedly shown that lack of channel integration – and its corollary, lack of systems and data integration – is a top concern for many retailers. Whether the subject is Real-time Business Intelligence, eCommerce, Supply Chain, or Multi-channel retailing, the desire for one view of customer, product, and inventory across all channels bubbles to the top of the list of business challenges.
Some soon-to-be-published results of a new study... More
Buying Up Bankrupt Brands: What's in a Name?
By Paula Rosenblum, Managing Partner
2/17/2009
Last week Hilco and Gordon Brothers announced a joint venture to re-launch the Linens N Things brand. According to the Wall Street Journal, the companies bought the rights to the brand name, bridal and gift registry, internet domains and certain private label brands. There’s an expectation that the new models will include web sites and stores-within-a-store (leased departments at mass merchants and department stores). I really believe full-service retail stores won’t be far behind.
While the WSJ described Hilco and Gordon Brothers as “private equity firms”... More
Copyright © 2009 RSR Research LLC. RSR is a tradename of Retail Systems Research LLC. All Rights Reserved
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