(Cover Story: 50 years of Walmart, Target & KMart)

However, some argue the mass merchandisers have made the supermarket industry stronger.

• “The mass merchandisers have made the supermarket industry better by forcing them to look at themselves a little differently.”
• “They’ve obviously had an impact on Center Store.  We know that.  But they allowed the supermarket industry to recognize that our point of differentiation is the perimeter.”
• “Some would say that these guys are Darth Vaders because as they have moved on the food side they have attacked Center Store, but it also give us a chance to ask how can we use Center Store to differentiate ourselves.”

• “Target has successfully transitioned from a mass merchant discounter to a full service household shopping needs provider.”
• “While ‘everyone is selling for traffic purposes, Target’s new format represents an attractive and different way of presenting food in a discount setting.”

• “The look and feel of a store is crucial to the  overall marketing strategy, because convenience stores rely much more on in-store marketing, and less on outside advertising, than traditional retailers do.”
• “People are always in there anyway buying this or that. Now you have to convert them. It is not about getting them into the store, it is about convincing them that, ‘Hey, this may be my place for dinner.'”

• “The most difficult aspect to marketing is getting the customer to try the product, especially if they don’t know it.”
• “Retailers offering product samples is a way to differentiate themselves, showing that they are current and contemporary.”
• “Sampling  most effective when two criteria are met: 1. the product is significantly better than current offerings, 2. when the product is difficult to describe, e.g., see and taste positive differences.”
• “All selling is theater.  Sample in an area of the store that is well-lit and comfortable to the consumer.  Make it a show.”
• “While the benefits of product sampling to the manufacturer are fairly clear, the retailer also benefits from sampling.  Hosting product demonstrations creates a sense of excitement.  Sampling is like Christmas and our birthdays.”

• “Grocers need to tailor their social media outreach to older members of the Gen Y and Baby Boomer generations.”
• “Food retailers can use these websites to recruit the best and brightest.  Consumers are using these websites to act as an instant messenger for disseminating tales of dissatisfaction and attempted complaint resolution.”
• “These social site represent the modern day equivalent of the “back yard fence” where neighbors used to share information, opinions, and recommendations.”
• “The “wired” food retail operator who monitors these sites and engages the customer in a dialogue is in the position to strengthen and, in many cases, to develop a relationship as a caring, responsive marketer.”

• “The only limit is the merchandiser’s creativity.”
• “A channel is anywhere hunger and convenience collide, and it is great when it is in C-stores or drug stores or grocery stores, but hunger and convenience collide in lots of places.  There are so may ways to tie in candy and snacks.”
• “For example, office supply stores could designate one day each week centered around candy.  We have Casual Fridays, why don’t we have Sweet Tuesdays?”
• “Hardware  stores could put candy together with blizzard or hurricane packages.”
• “Whether it’s an established or emerging brand, there are riches in niches.”

• “How do the older members of Generation Y (Mature Millennials, or MMs) compare to the older members of the Baby Boom generation (Mature Baby Boomers or MBBs) in terms of the use of social media?”
• “When it comes to social networks, 85% of MMs participate in social networks compared to 62% of MBBs. The preferred social network is Facebook with 58% of MBBs who are social network members enjoying Facebook membership. On the other hand, 82% of MMs who participate on social networks are Facebook members.”
• “While both generations primarily use social networks for personal interactions, the professional uses represent a real opportunity for food retailers. Food retailers can use these websites to recruit the best and brightest. In addition, Mature Millennials are using these sites to find information about products, services and the companies offering these products/services for sale.”
• “Also, these sites act as an instant messenger for disseminating tales of dissatisfaction and attempted complaint resolutions. Essentially, the Internet in general, and these social networks in particular, have allowed every user to engage in “best practices sharing” when it comes to buying groceries, fresh and nonfoods at food retail.”
• “These social sites represent the modern day equivalent of the “back yard fence” where neighbors used to share information, opinions and recommendations. The “wired” food retailer operator who monitors these sites and engages the customer in a dialogue is in the position to strengthen and, in many cases, to develop a relationship as a caring, responsive marketer.”
• “These social media sites are viewed as a great resource for researching food retailers. This is true of both generations but doubly so for Mature Millennials. These fan pages give new meaning to “word of mouth” advertising. No longer will the traditional methods of discovery and engagement of your business by customers work. Where and how people discover and engage your food retailing operation has fundamentally changed.”

• “I don’t know if the job generation claim is true, but the social impact is real.”
• “Everyone loves farmers.”
• “The wave of popularity has not fully crested.  The generation after us, the 20-year-old, are more likely to go to farmers’ markets too.  It is their weekly Woodstock.”

• “Richard George said he wouldn’t bet against Duke. He described first encountering Duke while addressing Wal-Mart executives at a function several years ago and coming away impressed with Duke’s passion for the business.”
• “At the meeting I stood up and said, ‘I’m from the Northeast, and I have to say, your stores up here are god-awful,’” George related. “Next thing I know I was getting applause, and Mike Duke was at my elbow. We talked for 45 minutes. He said, ‘We haven’t figured out the Northeast yet, but we will.’ And it was that tenacity, and his excitement for the business, that really showed through.
• “I think Mike Duke really understands it.”  “Many people would deny they ever had a problem. His attitude was, ‘Let’s fix it.’ He’s a preacher of vision and a lover of change. A lot of companies like to pat themselves on the back. But I’ve been to enough Wal-Mart meetings to know this is a company that spends a lot of time on the correction of errors.

• Soda appliances may have limited appeal because consumers like freshness and convenience, both of which already have been perfected by big beverage makers at a reasonable price.
• “You just reach in your refrigerator and grab your soft drink.”