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The power of a blockbuster brand should never be underestimated. While private labels continue to make inroads and earn respect, top-selling name brands still hold a hypnotic sway over the [...]

The power struggle between major brands intent on holding onto their leading market share and retailers' increasing emphasis on private labels as a differentiator raged on this past year, with [...]

Brand preferences among those who shop at Wal-Mart, Kmart or Target generally mirror the overall findings in this year's Top Brands survey, although a few interesting variances emerge regarding private [...]

Power brands appear headed for tougher competition in the coming years, as consumers increasingly shift preferences toward new labels, including store brands. As a result, the fight for top-brand status [...]

ROANOKE, VA. -- A more fitting name couldn't have been chosen for Advance Auto Parts, which has been on a steady and determined mission to advance as a leader and [...]

The power that brands exert over consumers' perceptions--not to mention their buying habits--snowballed this past year. Not even the growing price sensitivity of shoppers today detracted from the apparent pull [...]

Power brands reasserted themselves this past year as a reminder that in tough times consumers seek out the comfort of a reliable, known label. The headway that new labels and [...]

CHESAPEAKE, VA. -- The newest acquisition for Dollar Tree may appear inconsequential in terms of added stores, yet this latest deal represents a significant milestone for the company in terms [...]

UPSCALE DALLAS, TEXAS STRATEGIES MAY ENTICE BROADER CUSTOMER BASE BY DEBBIE HOWELL Wal-Mart's rural heritage and positioning as a low-price discounter serving a core low-to middle-income customer built the foundation [...]

FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- One look at the hot pink faux-fur pillows and leopard-print bedding on display at Pier 1 Kids proves that this store is anything but an ordinary [...]

The evolution of dollar stores from regional chains and independents with limited customer appeal and unsophisticated merchandising into a hot growth channel that even the affluent are now drawn to [...]

PIANO, TEXAS. -- In the middle ground between gourmet natural food stores such as Whole Foods and traditional supermarkets like Kroger lies an untapped retail opportunity. At least that's the [...]

BERKELEY, CALIF. -- Selling perishable food at closeout prices has got to be one of the trickiest businesses from an operational perspective, but it's one that privately owned Grocery Outlet [...]

A series of monster deals such as Kmart's merger with Sears and ongoing shakeups in struggling sectors such as toys and the department store industry transformed the retailing landscape this [...]

PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Zocalo Mall, a unique new shopping center concept targeting Hispanic Americans that will be modeled after town square market and entertainment centers found in some Mexican cities, [...]

PLANO, TEXAS -- In a retailing version of the Oscars, the winner for best turnaround story of 2004 likely would be JCPenney, with the nod for best director or engineer [...]

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- From the iced wild salmon tossed back and forth among seafood specialists to the chef-prepared gourmet entrees and organic apparel boutique, nothing about the largest Whole Foods [...]

A slight decline in brand loyalty and growing acceptance of private labels are loosening up consumer willingness to try alternative brands. The latest Top Brands survey showed greater interest in [...]

DALLAS -- Upscale country lifestyle retailer Orvis opened its latest prototype in Dallas earlier this month, adding home furnishings in a format three times the size of its usual stores [...]

MARYSVILLE, OHIO -- The Scotts Company, the world's largest supplier of lawn care products, will tackle retailing for the first time with its pending acquisition of outdoor living goods retailer [...]

An improving economy and increased home buying and refinancing activity translated into higher spending for select hardlines categories this past year. Office supplies, hardware and automotive all got a boost, [...]

WACO, TEXAS -- With the lines between food and general merchandise retailing continually blurring, Texas grocery chain HEB has raised the bar in a test of a new store prototype [...]

NATIONWIDE DSN REPORT -- A spiritual revival appears to be taking hold in retail. After quietly operating on the fringe as a niche market for years, Christian bookstores are increasingly [...]

Out of bankruptcy for nearly a year now, Kmart's goal to become profitable again appears to be slowly progressing, even as the company's finances indicate ongoing struggles and a high [...]

The unusually low profile that Kmart has retreated to in recent months could be interpreted as good news or bad--either the once-bankrupt company is single-mindedly focused on regaining profitability, or [...]

NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Food continues to play a larger role in Dollar General's growth strategy, as the retailer recently announced plans to expand its test grocery format to 20 more [...]

DALLAS -- Eight years of testing and revising the Jo-Ann superstore concept have culminated in the latest, slightly smaller prototype that is now the preferred growth vehicle to replace most [...]

The battle between the category specialists and broad-line retailers played out in five core hardlines categories last year, with specialty chains seeking new ways to compete and differentiate themselves from [...]

Ethnic supermarkets, once considered an insignificant niche by mainstream retailers, have become a hot trend due to the growth of some minority groups and the ability of these stores to [...]

TROY, MICH. -- Management's promise of a Kmart turnaround and emergence from bankruptcy could be a pipe dream if this holiday season takes a turn for the worse and deals [...]

Retailers faced a tough year in 2001 as the recession and the terrorist attacks dealt a double blow to the economy. A record number of companies went bankrupt or bust, [...]

Despite the troubles supermarket operators have had in growing market share in urban areas saturated with grocery stores, Wal-Mart is set to blow all of its weaker rivals out of [...]

It's live or die in what may be the final chapter in Kmart's perpetual turnaround story. Ever since Wal-Mart overtook Kmart in sales a decade ago, the retailer has been [...]

Some might argue Dollar Tree's sales model defies the laws of basic retailing. While most retailers use low price as a lure, counting on the shopper to buy more costly, [...]

NEW YORK -- Fleming Cos. Inc. has a long heritage as a supermarket supplier, but the company is realizing that heritage alone is not enough to achieve its ambitious goals. [...]

Brutal winters and long, hot summers are money in the bank for vendors and retailers of seasonal hardware such as heaters, fans and winterization products. But with weather forecasting an [...]

ATLANTA -- The Home Depot's recent launch of a separate e-commerce site for Expo Design Center is the latest example of shifting retailer attitudes toward use of the Internet as [...]

DALLAS -- The launch of a pilot check-cashing program at 7-Eleven last month is the latest move on the part of this retailer to improve its competitive edge and become [...]

Americans are an incredibly brand-loyal group. In the past decade, when faced with an ever-growing number of products to choose from, consumers have stuck with the tried and true--a fact [...]

Brand loyalty isn't what it once was. Due largely to the growth in recent years of private labels and proprietary brands, consumers are increasingly willing to try new lines. Despite [...]

Hopes of a retail market rebound by Christmas were dashed with last month's terrorist attacks. Many analysts are predicting the economy, which already was teetering on the brink of recession, [...]

Five years of declining sales have forced makers of ready-to-eat cereal to finally face the fact that consumers aren't inclined to return to the breakfast table. Few people have time [...]

IRVING, TEXAS -- The turbulent economy hasn't caused an ounce of hesitation for specialty craft retailer Michaels Stores, which is forging ahead with expansion plans toward ambitious sales and performance [...]

High-end Hemispheres concept marries luxury with mass OKLAHOMA CITY -- Making the leap from selling packets of beads, craft supplies, fabric and home accents to grandiose home furnishings from around [...]

Lone Star consumers give in to gourmet lure FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- The battle for the grocery dollar in the highly competitive Dallas-area market just got tougher with the opening [...]

DALLAS -- One of the newest Albertson's stores to open in an older, urban neighborhood in the suburbs of Dallas will test just how far a supermarket can go in [...]

Bells and whistles embellish information-only site MATTHEWS, N.C. -- As more people have turned to the Internet for information, Family Dollar is one company that wanted to stay ahead of [...]

Hot merchandise ranges from commodities to the occult NATIONWIDE DSNRT REPORT -- Last month's terrorist attacks gave retailers across the country a wake-up call as they scrambled to meet the [...]

The icy reception that frozen food received a decade ago as a second-rate alternative to freshly prepared meals has melted. Today's time-starved consumers who keep one eye on the clock [...]

Trying to find a supermarket near downtown Dallas is next to impossible. Residents have flocked to the suburbs for years, and retailers have followed suit by building stores in outlying [...]