Spend a little time looking at Google trends and you’ll notice that no one really gave a crap about the FDIC until fairly recently.
Supermarkets Begin To Shrink
By September 12, 2008
The New York Times reports that several supermarket and retail chains, including Safeway, Walmart, and Whole Foods, are beginning to experiment with much smaller store sizes that emphasize things like cafes, prepared meals, and produce. The idea is to emphasize speed over choice, and was apparently triggered by UK competitor Tesco, which has launched over 70 small-format supermarkets in Nevada, Arizona, and Southern California over the past year. Of course, the stores also require less shelf space for products than they did a year ago.
By February 27, 2008
48% of teenagers haven’t bought a CD in a year, meaning that 52% of teenagers still buy more CDs than we do. [LA Times]
Firing All The Smart People Isn't Working: Circuit City Sales Down 12%
By January 8, 2008
Circuit City’s same store sales for the month of December are down 12% in the U.S., causing some to speculate that firing all the people who understand the products you carry might not be a winning sales strategy.
You People Are Buying A Lot Of Champagne
By December 24, 2007
Not since the buying frenzy of 1999, when people bought champagne in bulk to ring in the millennium, have U.S. champagne and sparkling wine sales been so high. Volume for 2007 is expected to hit 900 million glasses, up 4% over 2006, says the 2007 Impact Annual Wine Study.
Take Your Brand And Shove It
By December 20, 2007
Muji is a Japanese store that is, um, all the rage in NYC right now, apparently.
Talking Jesus Action Figure Sells Out At Walmart
By December 10, 2007
If you were planning on getting a Talking Jesus Action Figure this Christmas (or whatever) you’re almost out of luck. Walmart has completely sold out of the toy and Target.com has “very limited supply,” according to the manufacturer’s spokesperson, Joshua Livingston.
By October 1, 2007
The end of a strange article about mad cow disease and sperm donors closes with some interesting customer-preferences trivia: “Sperm bank managers have noticed a few trends. Married couples seek donors who resemble the husband so that nonbiological father and child will look roughly alike. Single women, on the other hand, often choose conventionally attractive donors.” [Slate]
Package Redesign Gone Wild
By August 10, 2007
The NYT has an article today about the terrifying rate of package redesign, a phenomenon the industry blames on, what else—the internet. Oh, and Tivo.
