Quick news for a summer Friday morning…
- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has sued Kmart over its use of shopping bag carousels at checkout, a technology for which Wal-Mart says it holds the patent.
The carousels reportedly are in more than 1,500 Wal-Mart stores, with new ones being added as stores are opened or remodeled. Kmart apparently is using the device in fewer than 20 stores. - The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) announced that it will partner with the International Mass Retail Association (IMRA) for the 2004 Marketechnics conference, scheduled for Feb. 29-March 2, 2004 in San Francisco.
- The British government announced that it will relax its pharmacy rules, allowing them to be opened by companies that do not specialize in the category, such as supermarkets. This partial deregulation of the pharmacy industry is aimed at making pharmacy services more available in the UK, where there is an overall shortage of pharmacists.
- KC's View:
