 | March 3, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Costco CFO talks pricing
 Richard Galanti, chief financial officer for Costco Wholesale, said pricing is "not a competitive issue" for the retailer, "other than we want to protect the prices to the members." As costs increase, he said, "you tend to hold off and realize a lower margin for several weeks or a few months and then finally bring it up to that next level." Bloomberg Businessweek/The Associated Press (3/2)       - Restructured Loehmann's exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Loehmann's CEO Jerald Politzer is leaving the company now that it has completed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, the company said this week. The discount women's apparel retailer, which filed for bankruptcy in November, also said it has secured $45 million in new financing and eliminated about $147 million in debt, interest and other costs from its books. CNBC/The Associated Press (3/1) - Apple's Jobs returns to unveil iPad 2
Apple CEO Steve Jobs shocked the industry on Wednesday when he returned -- temporarily -- from medical leave to introduce the company's new iPad, a faster and lighter device that will cost the same as the original tablet. Jobs' presentation led analysts and content providers to warn that rivals have an even longer trail to follow if they hope to catch Apple. "All I kept thinking as I watched the presentation today was that Apple just pulled a Secretariat. They just left their competitors 31 lengths behind," said John Loughlin, executive vice president of Hearst magazines. The Wall Street Journal (3/3), The New York Times (free registration) (3/2), The New York Times (free registration)/GigaOm (3/2), CIO.com (3/2)  | Keep business cards and notes together — Everyone has experienced the frustration of returning from a meeting, trade show,
or event with a pocketful of random business cards and mismatched scribbled notes. The Contact Keeper family of products solves that problem and will keep you organized and productive.
Visit contactkeeper.com to learn more. |
 - Retail chains report higher-than-expected February sales
Top U.S. retail chains reported a 4.2% increase in same-store sales in February, higher than the 3.6% rise forecast by Thomson Reuters. Merchants likely benefited from shoppers who turned out after being delayed by January snowstorms, said Keith Jelinek of Alix Partners, adding that retailers are bracing themselves for a possible March slowdown as rising gas prices take a bigger bite out of consumers' budgets. Yahoo!/Reuters (3/3), NPR.org/The Associated Press (3/3) - Retailers mix it up on Madison Avenue
The retail mix on New York's upscale Madison Avenue is growing more diverse, with midpriced specialty retailers, including Ugg and Michael Kors, opening up shop amid luxury merchants. Interest from foreign chains such as Topshop, Desigual and All Saints also is likely to change the flavor of the city's high-profile shopping districts this year, real-estate brokers say. Crain's New York Business (3/2) - Big chains think outside the box to boost sales from underused space
Big-box chains including Sears and Home Depot are shifting their core businesses into smaller spaces and devising new ways to turn underused space into more profitable real estate. Sears has ramped up its strategy of leasing in-store space to specialty merchants, Home Depot is selling parking lot space to restaurant chains and Gap has begun consolidating more of its own concepts under one roof. The Wall Street Journal (3/3)  - AT&T details plan to jump into daily deals
AT&T plans to launch a Groupon-like daily deal service through its YP.com online directory in the next few months, aiming to capitalize on a growing trend. The wireless carrier hopes its substantial network of local salespeople and advertisers will give it a leg up against a fast-growing field of competitors ranging from pure-play daily deal sites, such as Groupon and LivingSocial, to industry-specific sites such as Yelp and Travelzoo that recently have expanded to include group-buying. Total Telecom Magazine (U.K.)/Dow Jones Newswires (3/2)  | Learn how your competitors are changing their POS to boost sales...
...and why you should too! Recent research from Aberdeen reveals surprising shifts in the ways retailers are using Point of Service to enrich customer engagement, leverage business intelligence, and enhance other systems. Download their insightful report - a $399 value - at no cost.. |
| NRF News |  | | | - NRF: The 2010 year in review
Now available for viewing, NRF has released a digital (and interactive) copy of its 2010 Annual Report. A look inside the 2010 edition showcases NRF's new strategic plan, including a renewed focus on advocacy, communications and education. The report also delves into NRF's work within varied retail communities such as e-commerce, marketing, loss prevention, information technology, sustainability, supply chain and more. View the Annual Report. - NRF SmartStat: March 3, 2011
 Three-quarters of retailers are increasing their consumer insight and data-gathering initiatives in 2011, up from 65% in 2010. Source: Retail Horizons 2011 - Are U.S. ports prepared for the future?
Competition from foreign ports, new environmental requirements and infrastructural issues are leading many retail supply chain executives to wonder: Are U.S. ports prepared for increased retail container volume in the future? In an upcoming session at NRF's Global Supply Chain Summit, Dennis Cohen of Office Depot will discuss long-term viability and competitiveness of U.S. ports with the executive directors for the Port of Long Beach and the Virginia Port Authority. The inaugural Summit will be held April 10 to 12 in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - How Pizza Hut cooks up innovative products
Pizza Hut built a new headquarters in Plano, Texas, and is turning the site into a temple of doughy, cheesy innovation. A huge test kitchen has banks of monitors recording chefs' every move so successful recipes can be replicated or tweaked, and new menu items are tested in several fully functioning replica restaurants. The Dallas Morning News (free registration) (3/1) | Career Track | | | |  | |  | | | | |  |  Senior Buyer, Sports & Outdoors | Amazon.com | Seattle, WA | | Merchandise Planning and Inventory Management Senior Manager | Kurt Salmon | Multiple Locations, United States | | Product Development and Sourcing Senior Manager | Kurt Salmon | Multiple Locations, United States | | National Account Manager | Specialty Store Services | Nationwide, United States | | Senior Marketing Manager, Search Engine Optimization | macys.com | San Francisco, CA | | Manager, Merchandising Initiatives | Total Wine & More | Potomac , MD | | District Sales Manager- Texas & Oklahoma Market | Lakeshore Learning Materials | Houston, TX | | Director of Merchandising | Lakeshore Learning Materials | Carson, CA | | Multi-Channel Strategy Sr. Manager | Deloitte Consulting LLP | Nationwide, United States | | Senior Vice President, Communities & Networks and Executive Director, Shop.org | National Retail Federation | Washington, DC | | Buyer/Headquarters Level-Marine Corps Exchanges | Headquarters Marine Corps Community Services | Quantico MCB, VA | | Retail Manager | Tri-County Feeds | Marshall, VA | | | |  | |  |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | Oratory is the power of beating down your adversary's arguments, and putting better in their place."
--Samuel Johnson,
British author  |
| | This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com
| | | | | | | | | Recent NRF SmartBrief Issues: - Wednesday, March 02, 2011
- Tuesday, March 01, 2011
- Monday, February 28, 2011
- Friday, February 25, 2011
- Thursday, February 24, 2011
| | | Lead Editor: Megan Conniff
Contributing Editor: Faye Rapoport
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | | | | | | © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
Wendy's is forming a joint venture with Higa Industries to bring the brand back to Japan, with plans for the first restaurant to open in Tokyo later this year. Wendy's closed 71 eateries in the country in 2009, when it ended a partnership with operator Zensho Co. 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please comment thoughtfully CPG Brokers, your best resource to optimize your in store self exposure and maximize sku distribution.