High freight costs stimulated the idea of renting a truck to pick up publisher textbook orders. Benefits, including lower cost per 100 pounds of freight and scheduling when there is room to receive cartons and crew to process the books, outweigh the problems encountered. (MLW)

Methods for establishing an advertising budget are reviewed. They include methods based on percentage of sales or profits, unit of sales, and objective and task. Also discussed are ways to allocate a promotional budget. The most common breakdowns are: departmental budgets, total budget, calendar periods, media, and sales area. (JMD)

A ruling in a dispute over whether the State University of New York System was justified in barring from its Cortland campus a group selling kitchen products is discussed. The case involved the legality of a regulation that bars most commercial activity from SUNY campuses. (MLW)

Vendors often use product demonstrations as a means of enticing students to purchase their merchandise. Officials at the State University of New York at Cortland objected when a student hosted in her dormitory room a demonstration conducted by a salesperson representing American Future Systems, Inc. The resulting litigation is discussed.…

In the Mid-Atlantic region, 21 college educators and 30 retailers identified problems with internship programs, including ambivalent support from academic institutions and loose organizational structure. They recommended better site identification, more faculty involvement, and improved supervision. (SK)

Needed skills and qualities of retailing employees were ranked by 11 faculty and 12 industry representatives. Industry leaders believed leadership and decision making were most important for future leaders. Faculty ranked interpersonal and cognitive skills higher, and they believed their rankings would match those of industry. (SK)

Describes how some small-college bookstores are relocating off-campus in an effort to increase profits and help revive flagging downtown business districts. Such a move can help fight competition in the $10.1-billion college bookstore industry, especially as more chains take over the operation of college bookstores and online booksellers carve out…

Discusses the use of Web-based information systems (WIS) by electronic retailers to attract and retain consumers and deliver business functions and strategy. Presents an abstract model for WIS design in electronic retailing; discusses customers, business determinants, and business interface; and suggests future research. (Author/LRW)

Churn management is a concern for businesses, particularly in the digital economy. A customer relationship framework is proposed to help deal with churn issues. The model integrates the electronic channel and involves four tools for enhancing data collection, data treatment, data analysis and data integration in the decision-making process.…

Concern over what kids eat-in and out of school has exploded in the past two years. Study after study shows that American children are becoming overweight and obese in dangerously high numbers. This is because of the proliferation of super-sized meals, ubiquitous fast-food restaurants, and less time and fewer options for physical activity are…

Rural regions include places where food sources are not evenly distributed, leading to areas of concentration and food desert--places where few or no grocery stores exist. Individuals are hypothesized to depend on personal connections and the civic structure of where they live to help them solve the problem of food insecurity. We find that…

While the process and practices of retail product development in developed countries have been documented, a void exists in descriptive analysis regarding retail product development in an international setting. The primary purpose of this study was to explore small business apparel retailing, and specifically the retail product development process…

This teacher's guide presents material for a unit on introduction to fashion buying. Content focuses on information sources, retail store types, the responsibilities of a buyer, and the qualifications of a buyer. The guide contains 4 objectives, 4 group learning activities keyed to the objectives, 17 transparency masters with dialogue for each,…

This teacher's guide presents material for a unit on preparing for the retail fashion market. Content focuses on merchandise plans, computing open-to-buy, computing turnover, the components of a model stock plan, and criteria used when selecting a supplier. The guide contains 5 objectives, 6 group learning activities keyed to the objectives, 21…

This teacher's guide presents material for a unit on attending the retail fashion market. Content focuses on previewing merchandise for purchase, factors involved in a major market trip, common terms used when ordering merchandise, and pricing strategies. The guide contains 4 objectives, 6 group learning activities keyed to the objectives, 12…