Green seems be to new buzz world in the retail industry, and more and more customers are requesting “green” products. Which is a good, both for our ecosystem and economy as a whole; but how do you know if a product is truly “green”? Many companies advertise they are using a truly “green” product, simply because they use a more environmentally friendly ingredient than before. While they may be on the right path to achieving a truly “green” product, until there is certification all the company has is a statement not a fact.We at McCue take pride in upholding our word and have the certification to back our statements. In case you are in doubt if our new GreenGuard bumper is truly “green” take a closer look and you will see a laser etched 7 with chasing arrows on the side of the bumper, denoting it can be easily recycled. Further more, look at our SCS certification; certifying GreenGuard is made from a minimum 93% of pre-consumer polycarbonate. Not only is polycarbonate a PVC free plastic, it’s also a much stronger plastic (30% stronger than PVC). Read the rest of this entry »
There are many things that kids take for granted as they grow up. For some it’s the toys that they got or the education they received. For others it’s the wacky loving family that was always in their business ensuring that they knew right for wrong. Although I am sure that I could have appreciated all of those things more, there is one part about my childhood that I know I didn’t even come close to valuing as much as I should have….the yummy home made dinner that magically appeared on my plate every night.
If we consider the current economic situation, we can expect some things to change in our everyday life. Recently, I’ve been looking out for these little trends as it pertains to my own routine as well. People are thinking more and more about their purchases, which has a substantial effect on our economy. While it appears this would be bad for most retail stores and consumerism in general, I also have noticed more people in the supermarket. Read the rest of this entry »
How many times as a Sales rep have you walked in to a meeting with a Retailer and heard them say, “as a company we are looking to cut our costs next year”? Well if your hand isn’t up then I would like to talk to you after class! If I had a nickel for every time I heard about cutting costs………………oh forget it!
During these times of material increases, fuel surcharges, and increased labor rates every company is looking for ways to cut cost and increase margins. It seems to me that the first way they look to accomplish this task is by getting their suppliers to lower their price! Well this usually leads to a win-loss situation at both ends of the spectrum. For the supplier, in order to lower their price they may have to cut back on the quality of the product being produced, ultimately cheapening the product and decreasing it’s shelf life (total cost of ownership people!). No savings there for the retailer! For the Retailer, they may get the desired price they are looking for at the expense of the Supplier’s margins. Thus possibly pushing them out of business in the near future. No product from that Supplier anymore! Read the rest of this entry »
There are mushroom farms in Pennsylvania? Pepper farms in Massachusetts? Who knew I could learn so much just by wandering the fresh produce section of my local Whole Foods? As it turns out, it isn’t just Whole Foods who is labeling where their food originates… Read the rest of this entry »
Last week, I was looking at a new refrigerator for my apartment. I went to a few different vendors looking for a unit that would fit my specifications. Finding the product wasn’t all that difficult but it was very hard to find a distributor who offered installation. Read the rest of this entry »
Every health magazine will tell you the same thing: don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. More likely to purchase expensive and unhealthy impulse products, shopping on an empty stomach can cost you – and your waist – a fortune! Unfortunately for us in the retail industry, there is another critical warning: never read a trade magazine on an empty stomach.Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve all seen it, a mom with a rambunctious little one in the shopping cart waiting for any chance to stand up in her seat and reach for that cereal box while mom’s not looking. Or little Mikey jumping around in the shopping basket while big brother hangs on the side of the cart pulling it onto two wheels. What you hopefully haven’t seen is what comes next.
Wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful if shoppers always returned their carts to a cart corral when they were finished unloading their purchases? Can you see it now, your parking lot looks fantastically neat and appealing to shoppers passing by and there’s no need to hire that extra cart retriever? Read the rest of this entry »
Waiting in lines, we all have to suffer through it from time to time. Waiting in waiting rooms, waiting to fall asleep, waiting in check-out lines, waiting for the elevator or is there anything worse – waiting in traffic. According to an NPR report, the average American spends two to three years of his or her life waiting in line. Well it seems as though technology may be able to help cut into that wait time via a device you most likely have on you at this very moment… a cell phone. Read the rest of this entry »
Wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful if shoppers always returned their carts to a cart corral when they were finished unloading their purchases? Can you see it now, your parking lot looks fantastically neat and appealing to shoppers passing by and there’s no need to hire that extra cart retriever? 
Waiting in lines, we all have to suffer through it from time to time. Waiting in waiting rooms, waiting to fall asleep, waiting in check-out lines, waiting for the elevator or is there anything worse – waiting in traffic. According to an NPR report, the average American spends two to three years of his or her life waiting in line. Well it seems as though technology may be able to help cut into that wait time via a device you most likely have on you at this very moment… a cell phone.