The sourcing of quality safe retail products at the best market price is the most difficult job in retail. Part I of III

November 12th, 2008

Do consumers have the right to expect products

Do consumers have the right to expect products, services and other finished goods they purchase from their retailers to be safe and eco friendly?

If so, what level of safety should they expect? Does safety extend beyond the personal safety of their families, pets and loved ones to the ecological impact the manufacturing of these products has on our planet? Who should bear the expense of this increased safety; suppliers, retailers, or consumers? Are there more effective ways in the form of better processes and more modern easy to use tools to reduce costs and increase safety and eco awareness?

A Consumer?s Perspective:

Many baby boomers remember listening to the nightly news as children and young adults and hearing the local anchor person ask the following question. ?It?s 10 P.M. do you know where your children are??

In those days, it was fair question. Prior to the development of pagers, cell phones, personal digital assistants and now smart phones, the question challenged parents to be accountable for their children and insure that they were safe. Today, a simple text message or phone call provides some level of security to parents, albeit not the level of safety one might like. But, do we know how the safe the products are we consume? Toy recalls, pet food recalls, tainted drugs, food born illness outbreaks, melamine and BPA issues. The list goes on and on.

The question consumers are asking retailers more often these days is how safe is our supply chain? Consumers are interested as to what level their retailer understands where their products come from? The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Act of 2002 was fully enacted in 2004. It requires processors, distributors, importers and other reseller groups in the United States to maintain records that identify the immediate sources that they receive food from and the recipients they send it to.

Should consumers have anything to worry about and if so what risk does this pose for retailers?

Visit us tomorrow for some answers.

We appreciate and look forward to your comments.

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