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Wal-Mart and Jet.com bring new twist in grocery wars
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageWal-Mart created quite a buzz last year when it announced the purchase of Jet.com for $3.3 billion. The move aimed to boosts the brand's grocery footprint by testing the grocery concept in New York, bringing fresh groceries to the masses and growing its online sales. At the same time that AmazonFresh is testing out the brick-and-mortar grocery store concept to expand its reach, Wal-Mart did just the opposite — showing the grocery wars are indeed omnichannel today.
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Avoid parking structure damage through maintenance
Doug Haymore Facilities & GroundsA good-looking parking structure is great for a first impression. Unfortunately, parking structures see some of the worst damage and are in the greatest need of repairs. Vehicle traffic, moisture, temperature changes and naturally-occurring road salts can seriously impact the structural integrity of parking structures that aren't enclosed — and even some that are.
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No question about it: Ask, and you can receive
Fred Berns RetailIf you're not making enough sales, you're not asking enough questions. You can't get the business unless you ask for it. You can't solve a prospect's problems until you find out what they are. You can't upsell clients until you ask what they need. To whom should you ask questions? Begin with your existing customers. Focus on the future by asking them about Phase II of the project, or about what additional products and services they might need in coming months.
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Wal-Mart’s omnichannel approach is winning — for now
Shawn Smajstrla RetailWhen Wal-Mart announced first-quarter earnings Thursday, the highlight was a surge in online sales. E-commerce for the retail giant rose 63 percent. Its stock subsequently rose more than 3 percent on the day and set a new high-water mark for its 52-week range.
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Negotiating commercial leases: Ask the right questions
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailFor many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate.
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Stop doing that: How to take job duties away from an employee
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhich is more difficult: taking work away from an employee or giving her additional work? For any manager who has tried to reallocate responsibilities among staff, it is clear that taking away work can be just as difficult as adding it. Here are three reasons employees may want to keep their responsibilities and when and how to take them away.
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Metals Thoughts: Eye on the vol
Brad Yates Natural ResourcesWith French elections out of the way (for now) and basically all economic data continuing its trend of low growth, strong labor and retail demise, there isn't a lot on the calendar to cause a paradigm shift. At the end of the day, our view is that time and politics mostly don't change markets — rates do.
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The furious fight for supermarket shelf space
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageNot long ago, reading food packaging labels and making a wise choice was the "in" thing to do. Today, shoppers look beyond the labels — they find it hard to trust them. Consumers today demand healthy and fresh food. Supermarkets are aware of this growing awareness and choice for healthier meals and slow-but-steady move away from packaged goods. In the process, opting for organic foods and freshly prepared meals seems like an easy and quick option for both sides. Perhaps the best example of this shift is the shelf-space war in grocery chains across the nation.
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White-collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act
D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementExecutives, administrative employees, professionals and outside salespeople are generally referred to in the wage and hour world as white-collar employees. Employees in these categories, who meet certain criteria, can be treated as being exempt from the minimum-wage, overtime and timekeeping provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
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Negotiating commercial leases: Don’t telegraph your plans
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailFor many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate.
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