The Popularity of U.S. Pizzerias and Italian Restaurants

Posted on October 22, 2014 by bermanevansretail
We know that pizzerias and Italian restaurants are EXTREMELY popular in the United States. But just how popular?
As CHD Expert, which serves the global food service industry, reports:
The Pizza restaurant industry landscape is one of the most popular in the United States, with more than $62 billion in annual pizzeria and Italian restaurant retail sales. As of March 2014, there were more than 98,000 restaurants in the USA that fall into the Pizza, Pasta, and Italian Simplified Menu Type. More than 70,000 of those restaurant operators are sub-classified in the Pizzeria Menu Type. California and New York lead in the number of pizza restaurant establishments. Half of the pizzerias and 84 percent of Italian restaurants in the United States are independently operated.”
Here is an infographic overview from CHD Expert.

 

 

Posted in Global Retailing, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 4: Store Location Planning, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Part 8: Putting It All Together | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What Do Container Store, Costco, and Whole Foods Have in Common? (Besides Their Success)

Posted on October 21, 2014 by bermanevansretail
While the national debate about the minimum wage still rages (see 1) — and many retailers oppose any increase, some retail chains have gained a competitive edge through higher wages. They believe that happy employees mean happy customers. Three such retailers are Container Store, Costco, and Whole Foods.
As reported by Jolie Lee for USA Today:
“Container Store employees make on average nearly $50,000 a year, CEO Kip Tindell says. That’s more than double the $23,690 average national salary ($11.39 per hour) of a retail sales worker, according to 2013 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even by paying employees a higher salary, the Container Store is able to make money,Tindell told Business Insider. He says that he believes a great employee is three times more productive than just a good employee. ‘You can pay them twice as much and still save, since you get three times the productivity at two times the cost,’ Tindell, who is also the incoming chairman of the National Retail Federation, said in the interview.”
“Costco employees start at $11.50 per hour and make $21 per hour on average, well above the national average. In 2013, Whole Foods paid its employees $18.89 per hour or $39,289 a year.”
 Click the image to read more.

 

Photo: Richard Drew, AP

 

Posted in Career Useful Information, Careers in Retailing, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Will Weak Wages Impact Holiday Shopping?

Posted on October 20, 2014 by bermanevansretail
Although the U.S. unemployment rate has come down in the years following the Great Recession, wages have not really bounced back in real terms (taking inflation into account). And, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gap between the haves and have nots has steadily increased. This is NOT good news for retailers who appeal to middle-income consumers, as well as those selling non-necessities, as they gear up for the peak 2014 holiday shopping season.
As reported by for the New York Times:
“The typical American family makes less than the typical family did 15 years ago, a statement that hadn’t previously been true since the Great Depression. Even as the unemployment rate has fallen in the last few years, wage growth has remained mediocre. Last week’s jobs report offered the latest evidence: The jobless rate fell below 6 percent, yet hourly pay has risen just 2 percent over the last year, not much faster than inflation. The combination has puzzled economists and frustrated workers.”
“The great wage slowdown, or the end of it, will help set the tone for American life in the coming decade. It has already done so in the century’s first 15 years, causing widespread unhappiness with the country’s direction and leading voters to shift partisan directions multiple times. The political turmoil isn’t likely to end until the economic reality changes.”
Click the NYT chart to read more.
 
Income Decline

 

Posted in Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments