 | November 15, 2010 | News for the retail industry |  |  | | - October retail sales growth hits 7-month high
Retail sales rose 1.2% in October, beating economists' predictions with the highest increase since March and further brightening the outlook for holiday shopping, according to a Commerce Department report released today. Auto sales and a broad array of merchandise including sporting goods and building materials led the growth, and nonstore merchants such as online retailers also saw increased demand. The Wall Street Journal (11/15) , Bloomberg (11/15)        - Macy's strategy boosts employee morale
Macy's faced a tough audience when it renamed Chicago's iconic Marshall Field's four years ago, a move that pushed employee morale to a new low and spurred the company to begin testing its "My Macy's" strategy. The strategy, which encourages stores to stock merchandise that best serves their local shoppers, forged a warmer relationship between workers and management and has since been adopted nationwide. Chicago Tribune (11/15) - Walgreen boosts food choices in Chicago
Walgreen is helping to solve the food-desert problem in Chicago with its move to sell fresh produce in 10 locations identified as underserved. Chicago was the site of 2006 research on neighborhoods with less access to fresh foods, which also found that pharmacies were practically the only mainstream chains found in the city, and so were well-positioned to offer more food choices without investing in new locations. The New York Times (free registration) (11/12) - Black Friday shoppers boost hotel bookings
Hotel operators have noticed an uptick in Thanksgiving night reservations in recent years, as Black Friday shoppers position themselves closer to the early morning retail action, according to this article. The move makes sense as more stores move up their opening times, said NRF's Ellen Davis. "You don't have to drive in the middle of the night, but you could get up, shop and be back to the hotel room in time for checkout." USA TODAY/Indianapolis Star, The (11/14)  | Adobe Mobile Experience Survey: What Users Want from Media, Finance, Travel & Shopping. With more than 4.5 billion cell phone subscribers worldwide, it's no wonder businesses are betting big on mobile. Get a first-of-its-kind, bird's eye view of what consumers are doing on their mobile devices and what most engages them across 4 key industries. Download the whitepaper. | - A very e-reader holiday?
E-readers are poised to be hot gifts this holiday season, potentially converting large numbers of book lovers from paper pages to electronic screens, The New York Times reports. "This is the tipping-point season for e-readers, there's no question," said Peter Hildick-Smith, president of the Codex Group, a book-market research company. "A lot more books are going to be sold in e-book format. It also means that a lot fewer people are going to be shopping in bookstores." The New York Times (free registration) (11/14) - Shoppers help shape the "new deal culture"
Retailers and service providers are being forced to cut prices and offer better deals, as more budget-minded shoppers hunt for bargains. Early holiday promotions are offering blockbuster sales, coupons and rebates because, according to one analyst, "People brag about the deals they get and challenge others to find even better ones." The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (11/14) - South Jersey merchants group launches "buy local" campaign
As more consumers head online to shop, a group representing merchants in southern New Jersey has launched a campaign aimed at bringing consumers back to its local shops and boutiques. Using the motto "Buy Your Treasures Locally," the group hopes to highlight the merchants' unique offerings and urge area residents to frequent the local shops or buy on their websites. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (11/14)  | In "How The Vitamin Shoppe Answered the Inventory Question," Tony Truesdale (President & Chief Merchant) and Jason Scheffer (Director of Inventory) discuss how the company quickly raised turn & in-stocks while also reducing working capital needs prior to The Vitamin Shoppe's successful IPO in October '09 — the first retailer to do so in almost two years. | - E-commerce sites aim to win with customized approach
A growing number of e-commerce players are winning customers through their DIY approaches and betting that consumers will flock to their mass-customization sites this holiday season. New sites allow buyers to design everything from their ideal mattress to the perfect diamond ring. The Boston Globe (11/14)  | HR Best Practices: Delivering Strategic Value to the Enterprise
Establishing HR best practices that are supported with technology can help achieve greater efficiency. HR processes reduce the burden of handling administrative tasks and deliver strategic value to the organization by equipping managers with the right information. Learn how in this free white paper sponsored by SAP. |
 | Hot Topics |  | | | Top five news stories selected by NRF SmartBrief readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
| Policy & Government Affairs | | | | - New law lets merchants set minimum credit card purchase amounts
A new federal law that allows retailers to set up to a $10 minimum for credit card purchases was part of a larger effort to offer merchants some relief from high bank fees. The new rule stands to benefit small businesses that are unable to negotiate lower rates and handle a large number of small-ticket sales, says NRF's Craig Shearman. Boston Herald (11/15)
| NRF News | | | | - October retail sales increase marks fourth straight month of growth
Retailers have reason for optimism as consumer spending finally shows momentum -- October marks four straight months of sales gains as the holiday season approaches. October retail industry sales increased 0.3% seasonally adjusted over September and 2.6% unadjusted over 2009, according to NRF. "October's results are a clear indicator that the economy and consumer spending continue to show marked improvement, even though we expect consumers to proceed with caution," said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz. Read more. - NRF SmartStat: Nov. 15, 2010
 For the past decade, the average annual percentage increase of holiday sales has been 2.45%. Source: NRF - Top 5 features consumers want from your site this holiday season
When it comes to site features this holiday season, consumers want clear messaging on price, product description and shipping information. Based on Shop.org's eHoliday survey, which surveys pre- and post-holiday shopping expectations from shoppers and retailers, Fiona Swerdlow, head of research for Shop.org, details the top five site features consumers can't live without this season. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Q-and-A: McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner
McDonald's proved itself recession-resistant, thriving in an economic downturn that had other chains scrambling to survive. In this interview, CEO Jim Skinner shares his insights on why the business continues to succeed, repeats the company's reassurance that it won't drop employee health care coverage in the wake of new legislation and says he believes common sense will prevail in the push to enact so-called "fat taxes." USA TODAY (11/15) - Krispy Kreme reopens in Philly after 5-year absence
Krispy Kreme opened its first Philadelphia doughnut shop since exiting the market in 2005 amid financial turmoil at the North Carolina-based chain. CEO Jim Morgan said the company learned from its mistakes the first time around, replacing giant factory stores with a hub-and-spoke system that results in smaller stores but more of them. The Philadelphia Inquirer (11/14) | Career Track | | | |  | |  | | | | | | |  |  Product Marketing Manager | RPI | Seattle, WA | | Manager, Web Merchandising Intelligence | Kohl's Corporate Offices | Menomonee Falls, WI | | Buyer | Art Van Furniture | Warren, MI | | Merchandise Planner | Kohl's Corporate Offices | Milwaukee, WI | | Senior Attorney, Litigation | dressbarn | Sufffern, NY | | Director of E-Commerce | The Wet Seal, INC | Foothill Ranch, CA | | VP of Marketing | Teavana | Atlanta - Buckhead, GA | | Director of Display Advertising - ProFlowers, RedEnvelope and Shari's Berries | Provide Commerce | San Diego, CA | | Director of Field Construction | Rent-A-Center | Plano, TX | | Business Process Analyst | QVC | West Chester, PA | | Manager, Home Office Human Resources (Recruitment & Employee Relations) | Follett Higher Education Group | Oak Brook, IL | | Senior Planner - Toys | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Senior Product Development Analyst | The TJX Companies, Inc. | Framingham, MA | | Director Supply Chain Systems and Business Alignment | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Systems Analyst-Labor Applications | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Compliance Manager | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | Retail Marketing Director | OfficeMax, Inc | Naperville, IL | | Director, Strategic Communications and Campaign | Universal Technical Institute Inc. | Phoenix, AZ | | Senior Ecommerce Manager | Expedia | Seattle, WA | | Category Manager - Own Brands (Food & Consumables) | Sears | Hoffman Estates, IL | | | |  | |  | |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | You can tell how high a society is by how much of its garbage is recycled."
--Dhyani Ywahoo,
Native American spiritual leader,
quoted for America Recycles Day, Nov. 15, 2010  |
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