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Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company Inc.'s (A&P) new Mahwah, NJ, superstore has a new format that features larger and health-and-beauty-care sections. The new format, which adds over 10,000 sq ft of floorspace and highlights the produce department, will be customized for application at other A&P stores., MONTVALE, N.J. -- A&P is taking a 'fresh' approach with its new superstore here in Mahwah, N.J. -- and the operator plans to make this upgraded perishables format its prototype [...]

It's 1985 and Jacob Wurtz and Jane Strong are busy manning their modest booth at home- improvement and boat shows where they're selling an unlikely product -- Japanese massage sandals [...]

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNS) -- Tomato growers in Florida and other states are considering filing dumping charges with the International Trade Commission against Canadian hydroponic farmers. Reggie Brown, executive vice president [...]

LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan retailers may have lost the battle to ax taxes on footwear and apparel around Labor Day, but are still campaigning for tax holidays in the future. [...]

TAMPA (FNS) -- While Florida citrus growers celebrate their near-record harvest of oranges this year, they are keeping a wary eye on a couple of conditions that could impact next [...]

Know your territory. It's one of the oldest rules in retailing, and in the case of Birkenstock Footprints, it means understanding areas separated not only by miles, but by a [...]

Of the four Birkenstock Footprints locations, the Royal Oak store in suburban Detroit has the broadest customer base, according to its manager, Adele Rubenstein. The store serves an urban customer [...]

LAPEER, Mich. (FNS)-Want to move appliances? Sell cabinets. At least that's the approach at Reed's Appliance here, and Tom Reed Jr., the owner, says it's working. Customers who purchase cabinet-appliance [...]

LANSING, Mich. -- If you're looking for David Kositchek, president of Kositchek's, don't head for some fancy, quiet office tucked away in a corner of the store. Your best bet [...]

Dayton Hudson has added a new private label, Field Gear Home Collection, to its bed and bath departments of all its Hudson's, Dayton's and Marshall Field's stores. The three chains [...]

New home furnishings stores were opened in spring 1996 in Ann Arbor, MI, by Julie Hallbach and Tom Trocchio. Hallbach, who calls her store Jules, markets upholstered furniture by Pacer with slipcovers to provide opportunity for change. Trocchio calls his store Atys, and he specializes in furniture and accessories from his native Europe. The price of an upholstered chair starts at $1,500, and sofa prices range upward from $2,500., ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FNS)--When marriage brought Julie Hallbach to Michigan from California, she missed the kind of furniture and accessories she could buy on the West Coast. Tom Trocchio, returning [...]

Turnaround expert Richard Gorges has helped many retail companies in trouble. Typically, a company calls Gorges when it is losing money, restructuring or improving operations. Gorges Associates includes specialists in mergers, acquisitions, marketing, finance and debt restructuring and ISO 9000 international standards. For retail operations, Gorges looks closely at inventory turn and other areas., TROY, Mich. (FNS)--When a high-end furniture retailer in Indiana wanted help, it called a turnaround specialist, Richard Gorges. Gorges is one of fewer than 2,000 people in the U.S. who [...]

Mason, MI, based Dancer's is a 31-unit apparel chain that focuses on smaller Michigan and Indiana communities. Dick Breedveld, in charge of Dancer's men's, young men's and children's division, said that the company focuses on brand-oriented, moderately priced sportswear. He noted that menswear represents 22-24% of the chain's business, with children's wear representing about 10%, and women's wear representing the rest., As far as the Dancer family is concerned, everything old is new again --at least when it comes to running a retail business. When the Dancers opened a general store [...]

Kmart Corp is planning to implement several changes in its grocery and discount store operations. Changes focusing on the groceries sector include putting produce and perishables at the front of the stores, reducing kiosks to decrease staffing requirements, removing the partition between the butcher shop and seafood sections, which will also reduce staffing needs, curtailing dry grocery presentation by approx 1%, and use of private-label products., DEARBORN, Mich. (FNS) - Kmart Troy, Mich., will unveil a new Super Kmart format next March geared to improving merchandising presentations in areas ranging from fresh foods to private labels. [...]

EDI Getting the Act Together DETROIT (FNS) -- Trading partners often treat electronic data interchange as a technological handshake, a gentlemen's agreement to send a shipment or pay an invoice. [...]

Michigan's Governor's Executive Corps has been a highly successful program. For a total cost to the state of $1 each, eight executives, loaned by their companies to fill specific needs in government departments have seen nearly 80% of their recommendations implemented.

A study by Theodore St. Antoine states that as of 1984, Michigan employers paid 4% less for workers' compensation than their national counterparts. There are also too many contested cases and a general need for reform. St. Antoine calls for a permanent Workers' Compensation Advisory Council to include business and labor.

Openness with the public and the press is the key ingredient to positive press and consumer relations when a company is troubled or undergoing important changes. The main objective of good public relations is to avoid rumors and keep a positive image.

With the home video industry growing, CBS-Fox Video has relocated its 325 employee operation to Livonia. After comparing other out-of-state locations, the company remained due to provisions of Public Act 198, which will grant the business a 50% tax break over the next 12 years.

NEW YORK-Who's afraid of stock market uncertainty, Asian flu, upheavals in Russia? Not home accents retailers, judging from comments to HFN. They seem convinced consumer confidence will remain strong, carrying [...]

TOM MOTLEY, OWNER OF THE MILFORD, MICH., SPECIALTY STORE, BATTLES MALL-BASED CHAINS After four generations in the same family plus almost 20 years under its current owner, Arms Brothers in [...]

Naturalizer Shoe Div. moved its top-selling store into larger, redesigned quarters in March 1997. The unit at a suburban Detroit shopping center has 1,800 sq ft and cherry wood furnishings. The store annually exceeds $1 million in gross sales, best among the 346 company-owned locations in the US. The store is at a mall that attracts up to 16 million shoppers annually. The mall is also in an affluent area., ###EILEEN COURTER NOVI, Mich. -- The Naturalizer store at Twelve Oaks Mall here in suburban Detroit grosses well over $1 million per year, making it the company's top-volume unit for [...]

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. -- Supermarkets here are competing not only with one another for kosher sales this Passover, but with an additional retailer: One-Stop Kosher. The new 2,800-square-foot store, located in [...]

Parents can testify children often dictate shopping patterns. If little Ralph or Rachel wants to ride the mechanical pony at a certain supermarket, that's likely where the family will head [...]

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- When Scan International Furniture introduced a no-cash policy at its eight stores in July 1995, the goal was clear and simple -- stop robberies. Almost a year [...]

LANSING, Mich.(FNS) -- The Michigan Retailers Association, working with the Michigan Employment Security Commission, is airing television spots aimed at encouraging people to apply for part-time holiday-season jobs. Even without [...]

Many US retailers are finding high-quality temporary workers in short supply for the 1996 holiday season. National Retail Federation VP Bruce VanKleeck attributed the problem to low unemployment and the economy's overall strength. Ne noted that retailers are being creative in their recruiting efforts. Some retailers are offering an instant interview to virtually any customer who completes an application., DETROIT (FNS) -- Many of the nation's retailers are finding an already tight labor market has become even more critical this holiday season. Bruce VanKleeck, vice president for member services [...]

Meridian Mall has created MAXimum Rewards, a frequent shopper program which will give its customers gift certificates representing a rebate of 1% on total purchases of over $100. The mall is marketing the program through radio and television advertising and direct mail. The program uses magnetic cards to identify shoppers and supply rewards. The Michigan outlet and its 130 stores are committed to the program for three years., LANSING, Mich. (FNS) -- After a low-key start with just 200 customers, Meridian Mall is cranking up its MAXimum Rewards frequent shopper program. MAXimum Rewards, initially supported only by in-mall [...]

The Taubman Co will add value malls to its upscale mall mix. Its first discount mall will be opened in Auburn Hills, MI, but future tenants have not been disclosed. Unlike manufacturers' outlet centers, this value mall will have enclosed facilities. Entertainment centers and theme restaurants will also be part of the mix., BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.--The Taubman Co., associated with conventions shopping centers, will try its hand at discount mall operations. Taubman plans to build a 1.7 million-square-foot outlet mall on 117 acres [...]

Taubman Company Inc. is switching its emphasis from regional shopping mall development to developing outlet centers. It is currently working on two outlet center development projects near Tempe, AZ and in Auburn Hill, MI. The Arizona Mills center near Tempe will provide 1.2 mil square feet of retail space. The 1.3 mil-square-foot, 200-store space in Auburn Hills is projected to generate between $400 mil and $500 mil in annual sales., BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. -- With regional shopping malls on the wane, Taubman Co. -- one of the leading mall developers in the U.S. -- is jumping into the outlet center [...]

Kmart CEO Floyd Hall told stockholders he expects the firm to finish 1996 in the black, and most consultants agree a turnaround is possible for the discount chain. Kmart will close 35 to 40 unprofitable stores and open nine Super Ks and 20 traditional stores by the end of the year. Analyst Fred Marx agrees that Kmart could be profitable for the first time since 1994. Marx cited the chain's great locations and Hall's determination as factors which should encourage investors., DETROIT (FNS)--Chief executive Floyd Hall and other top Kmart officials have taken to the road to visit analysts and convince them that the company--considered a terminal case by some--is in [...]

DETROIT (FNSJ) - Kmart Corp. is satisfied with the progress of its new pantry sections in conyentional Kmarts and plans to roll out the concept to more stores, said Floyd [...]

Divine Interiors is a retail catalog owned by Amy Sullivan. Sullivan plans to extend the catalogs customer base by sponsoring trunk shows that take the merchandise to the consumers so that they can see and feel it. The trunk shows will be staged for civic groups, garden clubs and other organizations. Sullivan focuses on a particular niche: providing those goods that other major home furnishings catalogs do not provide., GROSSE POINTE, Mich. (FNS)--When Amy Sullivan flips through the Horchow, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel catalogs, she isn't looking so much at what's there as what isn't. She wants [...]

Advances in computer and interactive equipment technology will soon overwhelm the capacity of conventional home telephone wiring to accommodate their performance. Most homes use category 2 wiring which can handle data sent through 28.8 baud modems. The problem is that new modems can send data at much higher speeds which require a minimum of category 5 wiring. The Electronic Industries Association is funding a public education program to alert consumers to this wiring issue., HARTFORD, Mich.--Electronics retailers may soon face the challenge of explaining to customers why their computer modems, interactive television setups and other technology aren't performing as expected. More and more cutting-edge [...]

Drawing shoppers to downtown shopping areas is becoming more and more difficult, given the competition provided by suburban malls, but Birmingham, Kalamazoo and Plymouth, MI, are all meeting the challenge head-on. In Kalamazoo, a pedestrian shopping precinct occupying several downtown blocks was established in 1960, but town officials are currently reconsidering the decision due to sparse pedestrian traffic at other than lunch times. Birmingham has a parking system that is largely underwritten by local merchants, and Plymouth has developed a plan for its downtown that involves pedestrian traffic islands, road resurfacing and old-fashioned street lamps.

Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelly found a 14% error rate in retail scanning equipment during a study of 17 stores. Kelly inspects scanners every year, and concentrated the 1995 study in Bay City, Grand Rapids and Oakland County. He speculated that the many and varied sales that retailers have been using to attract customers have gotten too complex to track accurately. Retailers have disputed the results, claiming the focus on sale items skewed the results., LANSING, Mich. (FNS)--State Attorney General Frank J. Kelly's annual scanner accuracy survey in 17 Michigan retail stores, including several national chains, found an error rate of 14 percent. This year [...]

Michigan retailers at the annual meeting of the Michigan Retailers Assn discussed different tax and price issues. The Clinton Administration is pushing to raise the minimum wage to $5.15 from $4.25 in two separate increases. Other proposals include a consumption tax that would take the place of the nation's income tax. Both proposals will affect the retail industry on a state and federal level., MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich.(FNS)--Michigan retailers shudder at the thought of a 20 to 22 percent price hike. But that's what a proposal to scrap the nation's income tax in favor of [...]

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich.--On the island, they're known as fudgies--tourists who climb on board the horsedrawn tour carriages, check out the numerous fudge and T-shirt shops, and as evening approaches load [...]

Dayton Hudson Corp's predominant merchandising theme in fall 1995 will be 'Workday Casual,' or the art of dressing down in the workplace. The Minneapolis-based department store chain is preparing a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes TV, print, billboards and an 80-page circular providing tips on Workday Casual. In mid September, Dayton will introduce a $50 book, 'The Complete Guide to Dressing for Workday Casual.', MINNEAPOLIS (FNS) -- Stroll through the men's wear section at Dayton's, Hudson's or Marshall Field's and you'll meet Bruno, Leon and Jacques. The three 'Workday Casual mannequins' are dressed in [...]

Retailers who bank on consumer loyalty are an endangered species, says marketing consultant Frederick H. Marx. The consumer of the nineties prizes convenience and value and will shop wherever it is offered. With the US now saturated with 18 square feet of retail space per capita, the stores that will survive are those with a strong identity. Among home furnishings retailers, the model for such a store is Art Van Furniture Stores' Mattress Express., MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (FNS)-The cynics are right, according to Fred Marx--if you want loyalty, get a dog. Marx, former retail executive and now partner in Marx Layne public relations and [...]

A&P has reported an increase in earnings during 1st qtr 1995, due to an improved performance in Michigan Farmer Jack stores. A&P Chmn and CEO James Wood reports that one three-year agreement was an improvement over individual union contracts, making the firm more competitive with other supermarkets. In addition, warehousing facilities have been improved and stores have been refurbished., DEARBORN, Mich. - A&P's annual meeting here last week gave the company the chance to highlight its turnaround in Michigan and focus attention on the grand opening of a 60,000-square-foot [...]

DEARBORN, Mich. (FNS)--A shareholder's question at the Kmart Corp. annual meeting was pointed: 'Do you see any future for Builder's Square?' The response from chairman Donald Perkins was equally blunt: [...]

Michigan's item-pricing law will be re-evaluated in the state legislature during 1995, much to the retail industry's pleasure. The law has cost retailers much money since 1976, when the law was put into effect. Retailers have been required to tag every product they sell to protect consumers from errors made by automated checkout machines. Retailers have been fined if there is a difference between the item's price and the price put into the checkout machine., LANSING, Mich. (FNS) - Michigan retail leaders say they have high hopes that Michigan's item-pricing law, which has chafed retailers here for almost 20 years, may come up for debate [...]

JACKSON, Mich. -- Che Bella will replace the Miss J junior department at Jacobson's, beginning May 1, and is aiming to broaden the appeal beyond the teen market to young [...]

Horizon Outlet Centers Inc. merger with McArthur/Glen Realty Corp. to yield HGI Realty has resulted in the nation's biggest developer of outlet centers with holdings of 6.4 million sq ft at 33 centers nationwide. The new company has a 20% share of the market in factory-outlet centers. Men's wear outlets since the latter part of 1994 have seen growth of 5-20% and are expected to continue this trend. Women's wear, however, has demonstrated a range between zero growth to declines of 5%., MUSKEGON, Mich. (FNS) -- Men's wear outlets will keep their starring role as part of the tenant mix following the proposed merger of two top outlet-center developers. HGI Realty, which [...]

Quillin's supermarkets in La Crosse, WI, is gearing up for the St. Patrick Day's celebration with a variety of prepared foods, including green doughnuts and bread, and Irish potato salad. In addition to the wide array of foods, Quillin's plans to utilize a live radio broadcast from a local mall and serve refreshments and cake as part of the celebration. Other Irish products to be offered include whiskey and such beers as Harp and Guinness., LA CROSSE, Wis. (FNS) - Irish potato salad in the deli. Live shamrocks in the floral department. Green bread and doughnuts in the bakery They're just part of the St. [...]

The corporate casual clothing trend in the auto industry has hurt many Michigan menswear retailers. Those stores that relied on tailored clothing for most of their business had to adapt or suffer losses. Many have folded. Department stores fared better by changing their product mix to include more casual items. The trend is accelerating, as Ford Motor Co has allowed casual dress all week, and more than half of all Michigan companies have some casual days., DETROIT (FNS) - Auto industry folklore tells of aspiring man agers abruptly sent home for wearing - shudder - brown suits. But Motown is definitely changing. When the Amexican Society [...]