Retail Details: Coupons, Food Safety, Sustainability

Coupons, food safety, sustainability and the intersection between healthy living and technology are all hot topics. Here are some fun facts that touch on these concerns, along with a bit of inspiration for entrepreneurs.

 

Did you know that the founder of Macy’s was originally a four-time business failure? Rowland Hussey Macy Sr. suffered through the closure of four dry-goods stores before finding success in retail.

He learned from each closure and eventually struck the right chord when he opened R.H Macy Dry Goods in New York City. One strategy that may have contributed to his success was his decision to open his store some distance away from the competition.

 

Speaking of Macy’s, did you know that Nathan Straus, who along with his brother Isidor purchased the chain from R.H. Macy, was an early proponent of milk pasteurization in the United States? Straus and his wife were concerned about infant mortality caused by contaminated milk and established the Nathan Straus Pasteurized Milk Laboratory to provide safe milk to families.

 

Did you know that the first coupon clearinghouse was established in 1957? According to RetailMeNot.com, Nielsen Coupon Clearing House offered suppliers a way to outsource the coupon redemption process.

 

Did you know that France recently passed a law making it illegal for retailers to throw out unspoiled food? If a store needs to get rid of imperfect produce or soon-to-expire foodstuffs, the retailer must donate the food to charity.

 

Did you ever wonder what happens to wasted food? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 95 percent of it “… ends up in landfills or combustion facilities.” The EPA encourages Americans to reduce food waste through careful meal planning, composting and donating safe food to food banks.