Bernice Hurst, Contributing Editor, RetailWire mentioned the "Let Children Grow" campaign in the UK jointly promoted by The Independent on Sunday newspaper and the highly respected gardening charity, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Launched in 2007, the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, sponsored by the food and grocery retailer Waitrose, is a nationwide scheme designed to encourage schools to create gardens and teach children the skills of growing plants. It is described as "an ambitious initiative to encourage the nation's children to grow their own fruit and vegetables". The programme targets deprived areas, particularly those with combinations of poor health, low…
By Devangshu Dutta, Tarang Gautam Saxena While the Indian consumers have aspired to own international fashion brands, India’s large population base in turn has been an aspirational market for the international companies. To remote observers, the Indian market may appear to be a virgin territory as far as international apparel and footwear brands are concerned. But India has seen the presence of international brands for almost a century, including mass brands such as Bata and luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton. However, as the colonial government systematically repressed local textile production, the local resistance to foreign products grew as well.…
In a recent workshop on fashion styling, we were discussing how the retail seasons have evolved. In the developed economies, from the traditional two seasons - spring-summer and autumn-winter - the number of seasons grew as fashion brands discovered or invented (take your pick!) sub-seasons to create and satisfy distinct demand in specific time periods. For many companies, the number of "seasons" has grown to 10-12 now including transitions and “promo season” series. India, you would think, essentially has two seasons, the summer and the festive season. However, in the last decade or so, as exposure to the global culture…
Wal-Mart has just opened a new store Supermercado de Walmart in Houston (Texas). The Houston Chronicle reports that the Supermercado aims to reach out to the Hispanic population, tailoring the foods more to Hispanic tastes and needs and adding signs in Spanish. Wal-Mart is also reportedly planning to open a Mas Club this summer, based on its Sam's Club warehouse outlet, but focussed again on Hispanic customers. (The original article is here: Wal-Mart gives its Supermercado concept a tryout). Going by some of the negative comments attracted by the article, it is legitimate to ask: what will Wal-Mart's existing customers think, and how…
An article in Convenience Store Decisions wonders "Can Packaging Boost Sales?" According to the article, in November 2008 McDonald's reported that 82 percent of its packaging in its nine largest markets is now made from renewable materials. And "convenience store retailers are following Mickey D’s lead, seeking to capture a greater share of takeout sales as well as respect the earth with reliable, environmentally friendly packaging that won’t drive up the cost of takeout meals." The question is: how much of a selling point is green packaging at retail? Is the sales lift worth the investment in green packaging? (At the…
Geopolitical friction has again sparked renewed concerns over inflation and rising input costs for FMCG companies as @itmeansjustice @whysnavi write. @devangshu commented.
