After shooting up to 33,200 members in just three weeks, Boycott Whole Foods on Facebook has only picked up 1,000 members in the past week and is beginning to trail off. Nevertheless, the current group is a sizeable chunk compared to the Do Not Boycott Whole Foods which stands at 4,300 members.

While 33,200 may not appear to be a lot of protesters compared to the millions that shop at Whole Foods, the backlash the retailer now faces in a media hurricane (social and otherwise) of Mackey's own making and it is highly likely that the brand's reputation has been tarnished in the short-term. Mackey's controversial statements have spread like wildfire throughout popular social media Web Sites including Facebook and Twitter as well as across major media outlets in a span of just a few short weeks.

Mackey's comments and the social media aftermath is a lesson that all retailers must pay attention to the power of social media and what is being said about their brand. Whole Foods depends on the good will of its customers and the social media uproar indicates it has taken a hit. In time, Whole Foods can and probably will recover, but social media sites clearly have delivered a big punch.

The Boycott Whole Foods Facebook page launched on August 13th, just a day after John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods had controversial remarks appear in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece. The Facebook page currently stands at 33,200 members.
 

DemandTec offers insights into its next-gen solutions for retailers and announced several key client wins including Price Chopper, Ahold USA and RadioShack in its first quarter earnings call.

DemandTec's next-gen solutions combine category, brand, and shopper insights into one system that provides a unified understanding of shopper behavior and the ability to leverage those insights to make better business decisions on pricing, promotion, assortment, and collaborations with their trading partners.

According to Dan Fishback, DemandTec's President and CEO, the company's next-gen approach helps retailers stop treating shoppers as statistical averages. Instead, they leverage the digital footprints and the data they already collect from every shopper interaction, and provide DemandTec science to create actionable insights in an on-demand offering. Several client wins that DemandTec announced in its first quarter include:

Golub Corporation: Price Chopper Supermarkets, which operates 116 supermarkets in the northeast United States, selected DemandTec's life cycle price optimization solution, which includes everyday price management and everyday price optimization software services in the first quarter.

Ahold USA: The grocer plans to expand their use of DemandTec's next generation solutions across all their retail banners in the United States, including Stop & Shop and Giant Food Stores. DemandTec's next-gen solutions will help Ahold USA leverage category, brand, and shopper insight and execute merchandising and marketing strategies by anticipating the needs of the customers they serve.

RadioShack: Consumer electronics retailer, which has been a DemandTec customer since 2003, renewed its agreement for next-gen software services that allow for merchandising and marketing optimization solutions that can help better understand, attract, and serve their customers.

Additionally, with the acquisition of Connect3, DemandTec has renewed maintenance agreements with certain former Connect3 customers. Several retailers renewed their advertising and marketing execution or AME software maintenance agreement with DemandTec as the company develops its end-to-end promotion management solution.
 

BJ's: Four Ways to Improve Operational Efficiencies

BJ's outlines four ways it is improving operational efficiencies in its most recent financial quarter. According to Laura Sen, President and Chief Operating Officer of BJ's, the retailer is committed to the following:

1. BJ's continues to build proficiency in its processes for ordering and replenishing perishable foods. Presentations have improved significantly and BJ's has reduced shrink and salvage, resulting in better freshness for its members every day.

2. The loss prevention team achieves a substantial savings in shrink reserves during the first half through the implementation of new processes and procedures. BJ's already has one of the lowest shrink levels in retail, less than 25 basis points of net sales, and the company's loss prevention team achieved similar results in last year's first half.

3. The company improves operational efficiencies in distribution by completing the implementation of a new warehouse management system in its Jacksonville, Florida distribution center. The new system, which is now fully operational at all three distribution centers, helps the company accelerate inventory flow to the clubs and gives better visibility of inventory.

4. BJ's transitioned to a new data center provider with a selection of Witpro Technologies as its business processing partner. The relationship will allow BJ's to leverage Witpro's global infrastructure management experience and IT best practices.

Total sales in the company's fiscal second quarter decreases 5.2 percent to $2.51 billion, compared to $2.64 billion last year. However, BJ's remains focused on chain expansion, which Sen says is key to the company's growth strategy. BJ's plans to open as many as seven new clubs this year.