George Whalin
George Whalin
issue less money saving
This convenience issue is enormous, and it has less to do with saving money than with saving time.
rid soon
They need to be rid of (Rampage) as soon as possible.
buddy capture channel companies concept future good operating shopping ways
The shopping buddy is an interesting concept but it's essentially an experiment. The future of traditional supermarkets isn't that good right now and companies operating in the channel have to find ways to capture the consumer's attention.
chicago deciding presence sell stores wants
I think May deciding to sell its Chicago stores to Federated is a very real possibility, ... Federated desperately wants more of a presence in the Midwestern market.
employees generally good holidays near retailers staff store stores weather
Generally retailers would like to have employees come to the store when they most need them. They want to staff stores when they are the busiest, like on weekends, near the holidays or when the weather is good or bad.
business changes consumers decided department enormous favorite format future gone great last places retail store stores
The department store business has gone through enormous changes in the last 10 years and we aren't through yet. It's a retail format that doesn't have a great future in it. Consumers have decided traditional department stores aren't their favorite places to shop.
california retailers someplace
If you're not wanted in one neighborhood, California is big enough for retailers to find someplace else where they will be welcome.
benefits customer driven great objective putting reduce retailers saying service spin
Retailers are putting a great spin on this, saying that the customer benefits in the end. However, the self-checkout is not driven by customer service but by the retailer's objective to reduce costs.
discipline mind require unique
These are not cookie-cutter businesses. They require unique discipline and mind set.
business catalog driving factors internet
There's business to be had. The driving factors are the catalog and Internet guys.
begun business extension natural record seem selection tougher track
I think the women's business is much tougher than anything else they have been in. It doesn't seem like a natural extension to me. They have begun to get a better selection of merchandise and the business is getting better, but they don't have a real track record here yet.
challenges convert easy loyal stores
They have significant challenges ahead. May stores had a lot of loyal customers, and it won't be easy to convert them.
customers economy gas hard higher market prices stock time year
The upper end of the economy has done very well and the stock market is at a 3-1/2 year high. This bodes well for the high-end merchants. Discounters would have had a hard time because their customers were impacted by higher gas prices and uncertainty about jobs.
wise
If they're going to reposition their place in the market, this is the way to do it, ... It's a very wise move.