RPW 9-30-08

Retail Paradox Weekly

Retail News Analysis by RSR Research

September 30, 2008

When Times Get Tough, Winners Hunker Down

By Paula Rosenblum, Managing Partner
9/30/2008

Okay, we get it. We’ve got ourselves a real problem with the economy.

Even the most festive rose-colored glasses won’t shade our eyes from the specter of a second attempt at a $700 billion dollar bail-out of the financial industry coupled with the implosions and/or fire sales of Lehman, Goldman-Sachs, Morgan-Stanley, Fanny, Freddy, WaMu and most recently Wachovia, just to name a few.

Ironically, the spate of bank and investment bank failures hasn’t affected consumers directly so far. If anything... More

Oracle OpenWorld 2008: The Promise and the Rub

By Brian Kilcourse, Managing Partner
9/30/2008

Oracle descended last week upon the streets of San Francisco with all the flare typical of Ellison & Co. As in years past, the city made the otherwise unheard-of concession of closing off city streets to make room for a massive luncheon tent between Moscone Center North and South, creating more than the usual (for San Francisco) congestion and craziness. The weather also cooperated, and 40,000+ devotees of the software giant got to enjoy several beautiful days of San Francisco and upbeat messages from Oracle.

Here's the promise... More

Finding the Line in Supply Chain Collaboration

By Nikki Baird, in association with RetailWire
9/30/2008

Last week, RetailWire ran two separate stories, theoretically on unrelated topics. The first was gauging BrainTrust panel reaction to a speech given by the CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association at a recent conference – he said that new models for manufacturer-supplier collaboration are needed. Reaction from the panel ranged across extremes, except for one: no one completely disagreed. At best, some panelists argued that collaboration exists today, but it could definitely be more efficient.

Then a few days later... More