“It was a pleasure to hear your presentation. I have never been in a marketing seminar that was half as interesting as you made this one. Thanks for your presentation and inspiration. You have a passion and it shows.”

Early this decade obesity was declared a global epidemic, and the nutritional value and marketing practices to children of branded food products were declared causative factors…Download the full text.

Saint Joseph’s students know they can call on Richard George for advice any time, except during the summer when he’s off playing with dolphins…Read more of the Business Week article.

FROM RETAILWIRE: On a recent visit to his local c-store, the author encountered a sign that read, “No Cell Phones in Line.” The store owner had insisted that “the customers always come first,” but the sign seemed incongruous with that message. What do you think about the convenience store owner’s move to ban cell phone […]

FROM RETAILWIRE: The level of satisfaction that consumers have with the online retail experience dropped roughly three percent over the past year, according to the Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index by ForeSee Results. How would you evaluate the state of customer service in e-tail operations today versus last year? MY COMMENTARY: No doubt the […]

Traditionally, retailers consider brands as those items on the shelf or on the rack that consumers come in their store to purchase. While this is true, it misses the concept of a brand and the importance of branding. Retailers have a tremendous opportunity to develop a differentiated brand but only if they realize that they […]

Typically, when asked about selecting a primary food retailer, customers tend to focus on non-customer service variables namely, cleanliness, quality, and price. However, whenever customers are asked “what improvements would you like to see in your primary grocery store?” the resounding reply is “better customer service.” However, the issue of what specifically constitutes better customer […]

“We are time-starved.  No one’s going to cook two hours a day anymore.” “I think there’s a tremendous opportunity right now.  The question is, who is going to be poised to go after it?”

“Wegmans is ahead of the curve in the supermarket industry in banning cigarette sales.” “Wegmans markets itself to upscale customers as a grocer that sells fresh, wholesome food, which dovetails nicely from a marketing perspective with the decision to eliminate cigarettes.  However, don’t expect other supermarkets to follow suit, cigarettes are too profitable to remove.”

“Food co-op’s local appeal create a passion and loyalty that larger corporations are trying to imitate.” “There’s no longer a market for stores that everybody likes a little.  There’s only a market for stores that somebody likes a lot.”