Many years ago, a retailer's biggest question was, 'Am I going to sell a sign on the front of the store?' " says Bob Southerland, vice president of marketing for K-VA-T Food Stores, Grundy, Va. "Now the entire...
Once upon a time, retail marketing meant "merchandising" -- setting an attractive shelf, promoting special offerings in newspapers and sampling in the aisles. The antidotes to stiffening competition were increasing...