Comag Marketing Group, LLC » Retail

Marsh Supermarkets Integrates Digital Platform

Kim — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:12:07 +0000

Marsh Supermarkets joins 112 other grocery retailers who use My Web Grocer services which enables customers to select and purchase groceries from the comfort of their computer. Shoppers will have access to planning tools including online circulars, personalized shopping lists and recipes, enabling them to plan meals and stay informed about sales and specials that are relevant to them. The experience will also be offered for shoppers who prefer to shop from their mobile devices instead of home computers. The planning tools easily integrate from computer to mobile, so that updates are automatically made from one platform to the other. Marsh customers also have the option to access the weekly circular via Marsh’s Facebook page. (Aug. 3) Progressive Grocer

Patrick Bowman to Become Senior Buyer for Magazines and Books at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Jennifer — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:48:34 +0000

Wal-Mart and The News Group have confirmed that Patrick Bowman, most recently vice president of category management and analytics at The News Group, will join Wal-Mart as senior buyer for magazines and books. Mr. Bowman is due to begin his new assignment on January 25th. Source: CMG NewsLink Jan. 16, 2010

Kroger Appoints a New Magazine Buyer

Jennifer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:37:09 +0000

The Kroger Company has named Bob Niesyto as the new category manager for magazines. His predecessor, Dave Rustad, has been promoted to another merchandising position with broader responsibilities, including magazines. Rustad will be working closely with Niesyto over the next few weeks, as he transitions into his new position. Niesyto began his career with Kroger in its Atlanta Division. He came to the Cincinnati area in 1998, where he has worked in procurement and, most recently, on special assignments out of Kroger’s Blue Ash, Ohio, office. CMG Newslink Jan. 6, 2010

Walmart Requests 2009/2010 Production Schedules for all Mainline Titles

Jennifer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:29:36 +0000

Walmart has announced that they will be effecting changes to their magazine mainline, including: new planograms, designated title assignment to the Flex pockets, new authorized list development, etc. These changes are summarized in the memorandum below from Magazine Buyer Christy Jenkins. The retailer has also issued a production schedule collection assignment to each publisher or national distributor, as part of this mainline project. By November 20th, CMG must supply Walmart with production schedules for all authorized titles/UPCs for the remainder of 2009 and at least the first half of 2010. Accordingly, if you have not yet provided your CMG Marketing Manager with your schedules for the remainder of 2009 and 2010, please do so as soon as possible, and at the latest by November 17^th, so that we can comply with Walmart’s deadline. Failure to provide this information may result in title de-listings.

Available here for your reference is the form that CMG has been instructed to use. The memorandum from Walmart follows below in its entirety:

Re: Request for Production Schedules;

Walmart Mainline Initiative

Dear National Distributor and Publisher,

Walmart is undertaking major changes to the magazine Mainline, including:

Changes to the End Cap Program and New & Notable Promotion

2010 Themes for New & Notable: January – Health and Wellness

February - Sports

March – Health

April – Garden

May – Food and Cooking

A new location for New and some remodel stores within the Electronics department
A revised list of authorized titles
New mainline planograms designed to accommodate both the current and new fixtures and demographic clusters
Pre-determined flex space for low frequency titles. Titles for this space selected at least 90 days in advance
Titles will be traited by cluster by store.

Additional details about these changes will be announced soon, if you have questions about booking space for the New and Notable sections, please contact Debbie Brent @ Source Interlink.

—-

The use of multiple low frequency titles rotating through the same position for 30 day periods will provide opportunities for superior product selection and increased sales. For that reason, it will be necessary to accumulate production schedules for all your mainline titles distributed to our stores.

Please provide to me, by November 20^th, your 2009 and 2010 Production Schedules for each of your currently approved UPCs in Walmart. 2010 schedules should be complete through at least June 30, 2010.

YOUR TITLE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THE NEW PLANOGRAM WITHOUT A 2009 and 2010 PRODUCTION SCHEDULE.

Production schedules should be forwarded to me using the attached template.

Thank you for your cooperation.

I look forward to working with you in the weeks ahead.

Sincerely,

Christy Jenkins Buyer Magazines, Maps, Newspapers and Calendars

Target Opens Digital Newsstand on Website

Jennifer — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:13:04 +0000

Target has opened a newsstand on its website for digital issues, in partnership with Zinio. The digital editions, which can be viewed within a web browser or through a downloadable application from Zinio, are meant to look — if not feel — like the print magazines they are replacing.In other words, the reader will get a more “magazine-y” experience than just reading an article online. Zinio and Target will share the revenue they get from each single-issue or subscription sale. Zinio CEO Richard Maggiotto suggested that 1,000 or more new subscriptions (a month) from the Target partnership would constitute success for the first year. “Zinio sees about 60 percent of its magazine sales coming from archival or current issue sales, and about 40 percent from subscriptions.” Reuters Oct. 12, 2009

HDS Advises on Pulling Sales Data from Magnet and Data Pro Systems

Jennifer — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:24:16 +0000

The following text is from an HDS Retail North America memorandum released yesterday. WHEN VIEWING HDS RETAIL NORTH AMERICA DRAW/SALES INFORMATION ON THE MAGNET AND DATA PRO SYSTEMS YOU MUST TAKE THE FOLLOWING IN TO CONSIDERATION: HDS RETAIL NORTH AMERICA has several business entities associated with it. These include The HDS Retail North America stores (Airports and CTNs), Martin’s Newsstands, and the former NGSI/Delstar locations that are now listed under the HDS Retail North America umbrella in both systems. THE FAILURE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE ENTITIES WILL RESULT IN GREATLY UNDERSTATED DRAWS/SALES OF 15%-20%.

Profits Up at Family Dollar, But Down at Costco

Jennifer — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:45:48 +0000

The Wall Street Journal reports on profits at Family Dollar (up 13 percent) and Costco (down 6 percent). Oct. 7, 2009

Wal-Mart to Reduce Mag Mainline Space by 20 Feet in 650 Stores

Jennifer — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:51:22 +0000

Wal-Mart’s “Project Impact” remodeling program for 650 of its stores will reduce magazine mainline shelf space by 20 feet, move the mainline from the front to the back of the store (in the entertainment department) and also decrease the number of authorized titles that will appear on each checkout aisle, according to a report in Folio: magazine. Folio: Sept. 16, 2009

Tesco Has Slowed — Not Stopped — its U.S. Introduction

Jennifer — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:15:03 +0000

Although the company announced in the spring that it had put the second stage of its U.S. Fresh & Easy introduction on hold, Tesco is still opening stores and building a distribution depot in an industrial park in Stockton, CA, to service new northern California stores when they open. Plus, “property brokers say Fresh & Easy has been increasingly interested in buying rather than leasing sites, given the current slump in commercial real estate prices in the region.” The Financial Times (UK) Sept. 8, 2009

Consumers Union Launches Product Safety Campaign in Major Retailers

Jennifer — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:54:45 +0000

This week, a series of videos on the safe and effective use of consumer products began running at Wal-Mart and Costco check-stands and video walls, as part of a public information campaign called Safe Marketplace sponsored and produced by Consumers Union. The initial series of videos – which focus on bicycle helmets, carbon monoxide detectors, child safety gates and sunscreen – will generate some 61 million impressions per month at 590 Wal-Mart stores and 400 Costco stores. Target and Toys ‘R Us are expected to join the program, as well.

In a message to staff members late last week, Consumers Union Executive Vice President John J. Sateja described the program as an “opportunity to educate consumers about product safety as well as spread awareness about our powerful brand and its value in helping consumers to navigate the marketplace.”