BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — A central message emerged at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Regional Chain Conference this month: NACDS is committed to winning on pivotal issues and charting the course for innovation that advances pharmacy and that benefits all Americans. Jackie Morse, Meijer Inc.’s group vice president of pharmacy and the conference’s
MINNEAPOLIS — Target this month introduced Dealworthy, a private label line of everyday essentials with prices starting at $1. The original lineup will be supplemented over the coming months and ultimately will include nearly 400 items spanning four categories: apparel and accessories; essentials and beauty; electronics; and home products. Most items will be priced under
SEATTLE — Amazon is introducing an AI assistant called Rufus into its mobile shopping app. The generative AI feature will be rolled out over the coming weeks. Users will activate the feature by speaking or typing questions into the mobile search bar, and Rufus will generate answers via a chat dialog box about products and
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — During Leslie Sarasin’s tenure as president and chief executive officer of FMI – The Food Industry Association, the organization has consistently helped members bring into sharp focus the issues that matter most. FMI upheld that tradition at the recent Midwinter Executive Conference here by tackling the topic of artificial intelligence and
The economy delivered some bad news but mostly surprisingly good news for retailers last year. Consumer confidence was shaken by high inflation and the interest rate hikes intended to combat it, but consumer spending — and retail sales — remained remarkably robust. And as 2023 was drawing to a close, inflation was showing signs of
As noted elsewhere in this issue, artificial intelligence was front and center at last month’s FMI Midwinter Executive Conference. Anyone who only saw some of the keynote presentations at the event might have come to the conclusion that technology is crowding out other important priorities. Nothing could be further from the truth. In a conversation
Fortune magazine just published its annual list of most admired companies. As these rosters invariably are, the newest ranking of the world’s most admired companies makes for fascinating reading. Especially significant for students of mass market retailing is those retailers included on — and those who are missing from — the newest ranking. As background,
Have you ever wondered about the significance of Aaron Paul’s “no half-measures” tattoo? Rewatch Season 3 of “Breaking Bad” (great show, by the way), and you’ll encounter a powerful story with tragic consequences, told by Mike, who ends it saying, “I chose a half-measure when I should have gone all the way. I’ll never make
Retail crime has evolved from being simply a matter of inventory shrinkage and financial loss, a new study suggests. Retailers now need to think about crime as a palpable worker safety issue that can impact their ability to retain employees. That is one of the findings of the forthcoming “Holiday 2023 Future of Retail Workforce