Gene Hoffman

Nordstrom is known for fashion, quality and value. The Rack focuses on discounts on quality for timely and passe Nordstrom Chic. The Rack's concept can expand until it might change the general perception of the parent's high reputation.

Possibly lesson to be learned is 1) Always keep your objectives straight.

Sobeys is a well-entrenched eastern Canadian grocer. By buying Safeway's Canada, it bought some ready-made expansion into western Canada.

Now Sobeys' hard work begins. They have to put those bought Safeway pieces together at a time when Target and Walmart are aggressive and expansive. Sobeys wants to grow in their...

Happy store environments are created by store associates focused on customers' desires: fresh, unique products; a prevailing aura of helpfulness and appreciation; quick check-out service; and consistently pleasant employees. Trader Joe's does that quite well.

While technology and "rocket science" are valuable assets, nothing succeeds like the overall happenings on...

The impact of Christine Day's pending exit from Lululemon will be determined by her successor's unique skills. Day has been a great quarterback for Lululemon, but she lost her hunger to lead. Quite frequently, an equally great QB who is still hungry takes over and the trend continues upward....

If you have a great reputation, why share it with a perceived lesser brand? It can defuse part of your impact, confuse your primary appeal, and can be viewed by too many consumers as a cost-saving device since few brands/stores have equal prime drawing power.

The answers to both questions would seem to be ... Burkle has proven that he knows how to make money. I suspect he will do that again with this move.

When anyone chooses to come to the U.S.A. to work, live and be an American citizen, they should be expected to learn to speak English and assimilate into the American culture. Such Americans weren't invited to come here to have their native culture challenge the great Magnet Of America...

Penney's can't become what it needs to be by remaining what is. JCP is only doing what it knows how to do. Scary.

If this pending deal "makes perfect sense" as stated above, it's because 1) Larry Pope and 4 other Smithfield executives will make $85 million off the deal and still have their jobs, 2) Shuanghui will control the marketing of the world's pork supply as well as put pressure on...

Sears and Kmart, to achieve disaster recovery, need to develop more ways to satisfy many more customers rather than concentrating on using excess store space for data storage.

A hedge manager's mentality doesn't a good retailer make.