STORES Magazine - September 2008 - (Page 24)

fullprice/markdown Blowin’ in the Wind H-E-B believes the answer to rising energy costs could be blowin’ in the LL FU ICE wind. Last month, the San AntonioPR based grocer installed a vertical-axis wind turbine at its retail support center in Weslaco, Texas. H-E-B partnered with Elizabethtown, Ky.-based Wind Energy on the installation of the wind turbine, which both will use to study its effectiveness for commercial use. The turbine will have a peak capacity of 25 to 50 kilowatts. Along with monitoring the electricity generated by this system, another goal of the project is to determine wind conditions in south Texas; two 195-ft. meteorological towers have been built to measure and collect detailed wind and weather data. H-E-B is hoping wind power will one day be used at its stores. With more than 300 locations in Texas and northern Mexico, the potential energy savings is substantial. & RETAIL HITS MISSES Wegmans Food Markets, known for its “eat well, live well” program, has come up with a four-step method that aims to help control calories and limit food intake. Dubbed the “Half-Plate Guide,” this approach works well, according to Wegmans corporate nutritionist Trish Kazacos, because “it’s easy to follow, simple to remember and doesn’t stop people from enjoying foods they love.” The guide consists of four easy steps: • Visually divide your plate (or bowl) in half. • Fill half of your plate with low-calorie vegetables or fresh fruit. • Use the other half of your plate for other items (meat, pasta, etc.). • If you go back for seconds or a dessert, make sure half of your plate is used for low-calorie vegetables or fresh fruit. Shoppers want information, and Wegmans provides it with a cherry on top – teaching without preaching. Philanthropy on a Shoestring CHARITIES across the nation are bracing themL selves for declining contributions in the coming FUL ICE months as folks struggle to make ends meet. PR Twisted Knickers U.K.-BASED ASDA Supermarkets endured the RK wrath of angry parents over the sale of “High MA N DOW School Musical”-themed panties with the words “Dive In” on the front. The phrase refers to a scene in the movie where kids dive into a swimming pool, but parents are upset because they find the underwear sexually suggestive. Adding insult to injury, the undergarments are sneakily packaged; the words “Dive In” aren’t visible until the underwear has been removed from the package. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT) have criticized the underwear; an NSPCC spokesman calls it “part of a worrying trend of inappropriate clothing marketed at young children.” An ASDA representative says the design was approved by Disney and taken from the style guide of the company that created the kiddy sensation. “It was completely innocent and certainly not meant to cause any offense to customers.” Do the Math IT’S EASY to control your portion size if you L choose a 100-calorie snack bag, but when you sit FUL ICE down to dinner — at home or at a restaurant — PR managing how much pasta you should pile on your plate can be trickier to determine. 24 STORES / SEPTEMBER 2008 Still, there may be a way for supporters to continue to back their favorite causes. More than 60,000 nonprofits have partnered with new Yahoo-powered search engine GoodSearch.com and online shopping mall GoodShop.com to allow supporters to generate donations just by searching the Internet or shopping online. Consumers using GoodShop.com can choose from more than 700 online retailers, including Target, Apple, Macy’s and Best Buy. The shopping experience and the prices are exactly the same as going directly to the retailer’s website, but up to 37 percent of the purchase price will be donated to the user’s favorite cause. Similarly, with every search conducted on GoodSearch.com, approximately one penny is donated to the user’s favorite charity. The pennies add up quickly – just 500 people searching four times a day will raise around $7,300. GoodSearch and GoodShop have grown into a massive grassroots movement online. It’s a compelling idea; people enjoy shopping online and get an extra boost from knowing that a portion of the sale is going to a charity they support. WWW.STORES.ORG http://GoodSearch.com http://GoodShop.com http://GoodShop.com http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - September 2008

STORES Magazine - September 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Office Depot Unveils First Green Store Dunkin’ Donuts Debuts DDSMART What Shoppers Think 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Are You a Facebook Fan? RFID Concept2Watch E-commerce Supply Chain Marketing ERP Credit Web Optimization LP Vantage Point Newsbeat Cover Story LP Program Building Biometrics Industry Perspective Customer Service Site Selection E-Commerce LOEB Retail Letter Arts Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - September 2008

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