Tag Archives: column

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COLUMN: Will Publix-Whole Foods merger stay just a rumor?

By Justine Griffin for the Herald-Tribune

A peculiar rumor about Florida’s No. 1 grocer, Publix Supermarkets, and upscale organic retailer Whole Foods Market grew legs and took off over the weekend.

The viral story about Publix buying Whole Foods spread quickly, appearing in newspapers across Florida and around the Internet. Whether or not you like the idea — and no one knows for sure where this rumor started, or why — it seems unlikely to be true.

The buzz began last week, when Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods’ stock jumped 6.6 percent on Wall Street in two days, and options activity spiked. Whole Foods’ profile also was raised when it was ranked on the 2014 Fortune 500 list announced last week.

Publix, too, has seen substantial growth so far this year. The Lakeland-based retailer posted $7.8 billion in sales in the first quarter, up about 4 percent compared with the same period last year.

But their growth is no reason the companies might merge, analysts say.

Read more here.

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Column: What Sweetbay shoppers need to know

My What’s In Store column from March 4. Published in the Herald-Tribune.

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In less than a month, Southwest Florida residents will see a surge of Winn-Dixie grocery store openings.

 

Sweetbay Supermarket will follow the same path into extinction as its predecessor, Kash N’ Karry.

At the same time, the rechristened Winn-Dixie stores will seek to increase their footprint and compete with dominant grocer giants Publix and Walmart in Florida — and specifically in the Sarasota-Bradenton market.

Last year, Tampa-based Sweetbay was bought by Winn-Dixie’s parent, Bi-Lo Holdings. The $265 million deal included 72 Sweetbay stores in the Sunshine State and the leases for 10 that were closed before the sale.

Sweetbay had closed 33 stores just before the sale, or 30 percent of its operations in Florida, including four stores in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Those stores will stay closed.

But the remaining open stores — 10 in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties — will temporarily close March 22 and reopen March 28 as Winn-Dixies.

So Sweetbay shoppers, here’s what you need to know if you plan on switching over to the Winn-Dixie brand:

Read more here.

 

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Column: How to land one of those thousands of seasonal jobs

My “What’s in Store” column from Tuesday, Oct. 8. Published in the Herald-Tribune.

Photo by Justine Griffin for the Sun Sentinel.

Photo by Justine Griffin for the Sun Sentinel.

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The market for seasonal part-time jobs might fall flat this year, but there are opportunities for those looking for a way to make a little extra cash around the holidays. Now’s the time to apply.

Hiring for seasonal retail jobs is expected to be around the same as last year, early predictions show. That means some 700,000 jobs open up across the country.

Locally, thousands of part-time jobs are available at chain stores such as Best Buy, Macy’s, Walmart and Bealls.

And the hiring has already started.

Most employers encourage applicants to apply online through company websites, even for part-time and seasonal work.

Here are some tips to make the job search a little easier.

Read more here.

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Column: Millennial shoppers hard to please, impossible to ignore

My “What’s in Store” column from Aug. 5, 2013.

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Historically, at least, Generation Y has been an age group retailers have struggled to reach.

But since they are armed with the digital prowess and market savvy of most plugged-in millennials, retail chains have been forced to find a way to reach the 21st century’s first true digital generation. Old-school print catalogs and mail-in coupons just won’t do it anymore. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t trying.

Macy’s announced this month that it will expand its line of Gen Y brands in spring, the second consecutive year the department store chain has added to offerings aimed at the teen-to-twenties age group to reach its next generation of shoppers. Among those new brands are Maison Jules and QMack, which will be available in 150 stores across the country this month.

The retailer also has honed its “Mstylelab” and “Impulse” departments as of late, which focuses on shoppers aged 13 to 22 and 19 to 30 age groups.

Like many retailers, Macy’s doesn’t want to ignore millennials, because their math is pretty compelling: There are roughly 80 million in the U.S. (including me), and collectively, we spend about $600 billion a year, according to St. Petersburg consulting firm Accenture. If projections hold, that spending will grow to $1.4 trillion annually by 2020.

But the problem for Macy’s and others is we don’t fit a mold.

Not all of us shop online. Accenture’s survey notes we still like to shop in malls and actually like to see and feel the products we buy. But nearly half engage in “showrooming,” where they go to a store to check out an item, then search online for a better price. (Most millennials expect prices in stores and online to be similar, or identical).

From the retailers’ perspective, too, there are concerns that Gen. Y shoppers lack brand loyalty. In a survey, nearly 40 percent of retail industry leaders said it’s their biggest concern about the demographic.

Read more here.