 | November 17, 2010 | News for the retail industry |  |  | | - Retail earnings reflect a divided recovery
Wal-Mart reported softer U.S. sales in the third quarter while Saks saw sales soar during the same period, reflecting an uneven economic recovery that's likely to make it a much better holiday for luxury merchants than discounters. While higher-income consumers are spending again and buying more full-price items, those at the lower end are still feeling a financial squeeze. Star-Tribune (Casper, Wyo.)/The Associated Press (11/16)       - RadioShack checks in with Foursquare for holiday discounts
RadioShack is partnering with Foursquare for a holiday promotion that provides discounts to users who check in at the electronics retailer's more than 4,000 locations and so-called "Hero Hotspots" at designated gyms, coffee shops and other locations. Participants get 10% discounts for each store check-in, 15% off for store "mayors," and 20% off for "unlocking" the "Holiday Heroes" badge. ClickZ (11/16) - Bloomingdale's CEO: Retail is about people
A store is only as good as its energy, and the energy is based on the people, not the products, Bloomingdale's Chairman and CEO Michael Gould told attendees at the World Retail Congress. Gould demands passion and intellectual curiosity from the employees at his upscale department stores, and he prides himself on giving the people around him opportunities to grow. "Someone asked me what I wanted to be remembered for. And it's whether I gave everybody an opportunity to be more than they thought they could be." Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (11/16) - Amazon to make its big-screen debut
Amazon unveiled plans Tuesday to break into cinema and invited aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers to get involved. The venture, Amazon Studios, will assemble a panel of industry experts to judge scripts and sample movies. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best works, which could become full-length feature films. The company also has sealed a "first-look" deal with Warner Bros. NYTimes.com/Media Decoder blog (11/16)  | New Webinar on 12/2: Applying Social Commerce Technologies — Live Demo. Learn how innovative retailers are integrating social technologies like social sign-on, sharing and community to drive increased conversions, referral traffic and user engagement. Register now for the free webinar | - Best Buy CEO: Holiday shoppers are likely to hold off
Merchants are likely to ring up the season's biggest sales during the final shopping days, amid a still uncertain economy, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said at an investor conference this week. "I think it's [holiday spending] going to be exciting, but I think it will be late this year." ABC News/Reuters (11/16) - Holiday shoppers aim to avoid credit card debt
Consumers expect to leave their credit cards at home more often this holiday season, pushing plastic use to the lowest levels since 2002, according to an NRF survey. At the same time, more shoppers are ready to shed the practical streaks developed during the downturn and splurge a bit on jewelry and other fun non-essentials for their loved ones this year. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (11/16) - Marketers are taking notice of boomers' spending power
The sheer size of the baby boomer population -- and its collective wallet -- is changing the approach of some marketers, who previously were focused more on courting 18- to 34-year-old consumers. U.S. consumers 50 and up, who number 116 million, in 2009 made $2.9 trillion in purchases -- a 45% hike compared with 10 years ago. U.S. consumers under 50, who number 182 million, rang up $3.3 trillion, an increase of only 6%, according to this article. USA TODAY (11/15)  | Mobile barcodes make traditional media both interactive and measurable. When consumers scan these barcodes with their mobile devices, they are immediately connected to the web where they can view videos, coupons, and more. Want to learn more about mobile barcodes? Sign up for a FREE webinar today. | - Retailers are finally reaping rewards on RFID investments
Item-level RFID technology has reached a tipping point, with merchants seeing returns from their investments in the inventory tracking tools. Chains including Bloomingdale's, Dillard's and American Apparel report improved inventory accuracy, higher sales and lower shrink rates in stores that have implemented the technology. STORES magazine (11/2010)  | Increase Profitability and Productivity in 2011
Download this free Aberdeen report to learn how Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) can help improve operational performance, and differentiation. As capital and credit become readily available again, use ERP to gain the competitive advantage. | | Policy & Government Affairs |  |  | | |  | - Los Angeles County officials vote to ban plastic grocery bags
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a ban on plastic shopping bags in unincorporated areas, so it does not include the city of Los Angeles. Under the rules, stores will be prohibited from using plastic bags and must charge customers 10 cents for each paper bag they use. Environmental groups cheered the move, but one supervisor who voted against the ban said the regulations will be a burden to struggling small businesses. Los Angeles Times/L.A. Now blog (11/16)  | Increase conversion with the next generation of Checkout by Amazon! The fully integrated experience allows Amazon customers to checkout without leaving your site. Demandware says:"Checkout by Amazon makes more than just the buying experience simple. We have found that Checkout by Amazon makes integration up to 60% faster than before."* Learn more about Checkout by Amazon.
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| NRF News | | | | - Gift cards top holiday wish list as most requested gift; sales expected to rise
More than 75% of U.S. holiday shoppers say they will purchase at least one gift card this holiday season, according to a new NRF survey. Americans will spend an average of $145.61 on the cards throughout the season, resulting in total gift card spending of $24.78 billion. Gift cards remain the most requested holiday gift, marking the fourth year in a row gift cards have topped consumers' wish lists. Read more. - Retailers come free to Retail's BIG Show
NRF offers retailers, store designers and visual merchandising professionals complimentary entrance into Retail's BIG Show EXPO Jan. 10 and 11, 2011. The EXPO pass provides access to the EXPO, opening night reception, multiple happy hours as well as more than 50 educational sessions on the floor. Retail's BIG Show centennial celebration takes place Jan. 9 to 12, 2011, in New York City. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Starbucks to accelerate store openings worldwide
Starbucks is planning to open an average of more than one store a day as the global economic recovery continues. CEO Howard Schultz hopes to open about 100 stores in the U.S. and another 400 international locations in the fiscal year that started in October. "Our ability to navigate through the financial crisis and come out much stronger gives us reason to start growing the company again," Schultz said. Bloomberg (11/12)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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Slightly more than a quarter of shoppers will charge their holiday gifts, the lowest rate since 2002. Source: 
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