  | January 31, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- New CEO ushers in new era at Barney's
Barney's CEO Mark Lee has begun sweeping changes since his appointment four months ago, including Friday's appointment of creative director Amanda Brooks. Industry watchers say Lee's priorities should include closing unproductive stores, investing more in e-commerce and social strategies and a new image campaign focused on the chain's sophistication. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (1/31)       - Macy's to further integrate shopping channels in 2011
Macy's has seen success with its strategy to tailor stores to their markets, an initiative dubbed My Macy's. The company also has invested to integrate in-store and online offerings, efforts the chain plans to build upon this year. "We've been going through this continuous evolution of our structure and our brand," said CEO Terry Lundgren. "We're not ready to rest now. We continue to charge forward and think about how to take all these activities to the next level." The Cincinnati Enquirer (1/29) - 7-Eleven expands test of eco-friendly store format in Japan
Convenience store franchise 7-Eleven launched an experimental eco-friendly store in Kyoto, Japan, last year that has become a model for the chain's expansion in that country. The stores use LED technology for lighting, power operations with solar energy and are outfitted with electric-vehicle chargers. The company is testing similar sustainable formats in other Asian markets, and last year opened its first U.S. green store in DeLand, Fla. The New York Times (free registration) (1/30)  | Drive company revenue by simplifying IT strategies.
Investments in IT are often seen as key to supporting core business operations. Microsoft Online Services offers technology solutions outfitted for small to mid-size companies that will free up resources and help employees focus on what matters most. Download this free whitepaper to find out more! |
 - High global food prices help fuel political unrest
Rising food prices didn't spark the riots in Tunisia, Egypt and other parts of the Arab world, but anger about rapidly rising prices on staples including rice, cereals and sugar is helping to fuel the unrest. Participants at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, shared concerns that ongoing food inflation will contribute to instability in poor and developing countries. "It's really something that can topple regimes, as we have seen in the Middle East," said economics professor Nouriel Roubini. National Public Radio (text and audio) (1/30) - Savvy tween shoppers head to stores created for them
Online fashion sites and the influence of older siblings have resulted in more fashion savvy among tweens, spurring the growth of apparel chains aimed specifically at them. Consumers ages 7 to 12 are moving more quickly out of the children's section but not quite ready for the more sophisticated looks designed for teens, a boon for new chains including P.S. from Aeropostale, Justice and abercrombie kids. The Record (Hackensack, N.J.) (1/30) - Author advocates lower prices for brick-and-mortar stores
 Brand companies with a vested interest in keeping brick-and-mortar stores alive would benefit if they lowered prices on products they sell to stores and make up the difference by charging online retailers more, says author and pricing expert Rafi Mohammed. "Since retailers bear the cost, it's fair to ask for a price of 10% less than what Web retailers pay. I just think it's time for manufacturers to compensate physical retailers for the value they bring to the sales proposition." MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (1/28)  | New 2010 Enterprise VoIP Buyer's Guide
This updated Buyer's Guide from Focus will help you fully understand both your business phone system needs as well as the purchase process. Compare features and read advice from other buyers.
Click Here to learn more. |
 - Retailers: Location-based mobile apps drive in-store traffic
Shopkick, which launched this past summer, has about 750,000 users for its location-based app, and about 10% use the app daily to access in-store promotions and deals at participating retailers including Target and Macy's. Merchants and marketers say early results show Shopkick, Foursquare and other location-based apps are succeeding in driving traffic to their stores. The Wall Street Journal (1/31)  | How can you achieve best-in-class efficiencies and customer satisfaction? Aberdeen knows — and you can too! Their 30-page report presents new research into what your competitors are doing and planning now to advance from multi-channel to integrated cross-channel retailing, and the advantages they will gain. This $399 value is yours at no cost. Download now. |
 | 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.
| | | Most Popular Headlines from Last Week Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers. |
| NRF News | | | | - Report shows retailers are refocusing for 2011
After two to three years of belt tightening, expansion is back on the agenda, and retailers are ready to begin experimenting again with new brick-and-mortar concepts, hoping to appeal to shoppers interested in buying for "wants" instead of "needs." Gain the latest insights on how retailers have adapted to this new consumer -- and what they're planning in 2011 -- from the just-released Retail Horizons report, the most authoritative source for retail benchmarks and trends. Order the full report by Feb. 28 and save up to $135. Learn more. - Location-based social marketing: Are retailers jumping in?
Facebook, Foursquare, Shopkick and Google are just a few location-based services that retailers are using to connect with customers and promote their brand. So which should you invest in? Shop.org's Artemis Berry recaps a recent webinar featuring American Eagle and 1-800-Flowers.com execs as they discuss current social monetization strategies, including location-based networks, and what the future holds for this trend. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Taco Bell launches campaign to clear up beef questions
Taco Bell went on the offensive Friday, with full-page national print ads and YouTube videos addressing claims about the chain's beef, in response to a false-advertising lawsuit filed against the chain. Parent Yum! Brands also bought up keywords on Google to ensure that it's official response to the claims come up as the first result when people search "taco" "bell" and "lawsuit." "We will spend whatever it takes to restore our reputation," said President Greg Creed. Yahoo!/The Associated Press (1/28) , The Wall Street Journal (1/31) - Court OKs Starbucks plan to take coffee distribution in-house
A federal judge on Friday ruled that Starbucks can proceed with plans to take over its packaged-coffee distribution from Kraft Foods beginning March 1. The judge ruled that the coffee company gave Kraft sufficient notice about its plans to end their 12-year distribution deal. Monetary issues, including the question of whether Starbucks must pay a fee and further monetary damages for ending the deal, have yet to be decided. The Wall Street Journal (1/28) | Career Track | | | |  | |  | | | | |  |  Product Manager | EcoQue | Seattle, WA | | Retail Consulting Affiliate | Management One | Multiple Locations, United States | | Vice President - Divisional Merchandise Manager | The Vitamin Shoppe | North Bergen, NJ | | Divisional Merchandise Manager (2 positions) | Headquarters Marine Corps-Marine Corps Exchanges | Quantico, VA | | Project Manager, Multi-Channel POS | Sports Authority | Englewood, CO | | Vice President, Sterling | Sterling Shoes Inc. | VANCOUVER, Canada | | Telecom Business Manager | AAFES | Okinawa, Japan | | Systems Analyst-Merchandising Applications | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Manager IS Data Center & Wintel | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Senior Program Manager | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Operational Initiatives Manager | Ross Stores, Inc. | Pleasanton, CA | | Store Operations Manager - dd's DISCOUNTS | Ross Stores, Inc. | Pleasanton, CA | | Manager of New Store Openings & Operations | Ross Stores, Inc. | Pleasanton, CA | | Divisional Merchandising Manager - Men's Sportswear | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, Florida, FL | | Divisional Merchandising Manager - Home Decor & Gifts | Stein Mart | Jacksonville, FL | | Associate Buyer - International & Offshore Markets (Bilingual Spanish required) | OfficeMax | Naperville, IL | | VP of Marketing | Teavana | Atlanta - Buckhead, GA | | Lead Analyst, Paid Search | Target Corporation | Minneapolis, MN | | Senior Manager, Site Planning | Target Corporation | Minneapolis, MN | | | |  | |  |
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