 | March 15, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Restaurants, retailers and charities rally to help Japan
New York-based merchants and restaurateurs jumped into action in the hours after the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Manhattan-based SushiSamba launched a nationwide campaign on Friday to give all of the proceeds from sales of a sushi roll created by the chain's Japanese sushi chefs to the American Red Cross. Crain's New York Business (3/14)       - Earthquake may shake U.S. retailers' Japan expansion plans: U.S. retail chains, including upscale chains Coach and Tiffany, which operate a significant number of stores clustered in high-damage areas, may need to rethink their growth plans for Japan amid the devastation wrought by last week's earthquake and tsunami. Other U.S. chains with a presence in the country include Costco, Polo Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch. Retailers including Gap and Wal-Mart had recently announced plans to add stores in the country. TheStreet.com (3/14)
- Specialty retailers see a sales shift to Amazon
Brick-and-mortar specialty retailers are seeing more of their shoppers migrate to Amazon and other online outlets to find the best deals on brand-name items, according to research from TraQline. Categories including kitchen appliances and portable power tools saw an especially big shift because of lower online prices, and Amazon's share of online sales of kitchen electrics rose to 35% from 17% between 2005 and 2010. The Wall Street Journal (3/14) - Stronger spending sparks a comeback for L.L.Bean
L.L.Bean reported a 5.7% increase in 2010 sales, reversing two years of declines as consumers began spending again. Online sales were strong, and demand for the company's signature made-in-Maine boots increased 57% over the previous year. The chain also expanded internationally last year, opening 33 new stores in China. CNBC/The Associated Press (3/14)  | To become a top-performing distributor, you must:
• Achieve 98% inventory accuracy.
• Reach 95% on-time and complete shipment rates.
• Maintain 12-hour order-to-shipment cycle times.
• Achieve 13% cycle-time reductions from ERP use.
Distributors, how do you stack up against top performers? View the Aberdeen webcast to find out. | - Joe's Jeans, True Religion seek success online and in stores
Several clothing companies aren't counting on the Internet as the sole showcase for their wares, despite the rapid increase in online sales. Joe's Jeans will add at least 18 brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S. and abroad this year, while True Religion has ambitious plans for international expansion and Guess plans to add more U.S. stores. Los Angeles Business Journal (free registration) (3/14) - Recession created dollar-store converts
A growing number of consumers who discovered dollar stores during the recession found more than they expected, and they don't plan to shift their shopping back to pricier merchants now that the economic climate has improved. "Many dollar chains have undergone a rejuvenation process. They're marketing themselves to shoppers who only went to drugstores and grocery stores but now are looking for value," said NRF spokeswoman Kathy Grannis. San Diego Union-Tribune (3/14) - Footwear runs ahead of the pack with strong sales growth
Sales of athletic shoes rose 12% in the first two months of 2011, and chains including Footlocker, Adidas and Dick's Sporting Goods reported strong sales and profit growth in the most recent quarter. Fashion footwear sales also are on the upswing. The trend is helping some merchants offset the bite of inflation in other apparel categories, say industry watchers. The Wall Street Journal (3/15)  | Supercharging the Online Channel
Getting to the right shoppers and then converting them to buyers in your online store is every retailer's key objective. Short purchase windows, impatient buyers, and new mandates around security are creating unprecedented demands on commerce sites. Learn how to attract customers to your site, optimize their online shopping experience and drive more transactions. Watch the webinar NOW! |
 - Why lenders may reward survivors
Small-business lending isn't yet back to prerecession levels, but CIT Small Business Lending's Chris Reilly says companies that have their paperwork in order and a solid business plan in place may get the benefit of the doubt when approaching a bank. "There's a natural selection process that's happened over the past two years. The survivors are the companies that had a better business and better owners," she said. Entrepreneur.com (3/8) - 32 rules you can't do business without
The key to building a successful organization is to harness "The Primes" -- essential, timeless insights into how people interact, writes Chris McGoff. His book, "The Primes: How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem," catalogs 32 such insights in pictorial form, then walks leaders through the process of applying them to real-life problems. "We did not invent them. ... Our contribution was to notice these dynamics, make them visible and, most importantly, to name them," he says. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (3/7) |  | A Strategic Overview for Multi-Channel Retailers
E-commerce growth has significantly impacted the retail industry. Mail and phone orders will continue to exist, but are increasingly ceding ground to e-commerce. Download this white paper to learn more about the retail trends and strategies needed to thrive in the retail industry. |
| NRF News |  | | | - Polo Ralph Lauren, Office Depot execs talk supply chain opportunities for 2011
According to logistical execs for Polo Ralph Lauren and Office Depot, multichannel retailers have quite a few opportunities this year when it comes to supply chain logistics. In two quick videos, listen as Russ LoCurto of Polo Ralph Lauren and Dennis Cohen of Office Depot share their views on where their companies will be investing time, money and resources this year to make the most of multichannel opportunities. Watch the videos. - NRF SmartStat: March 15, 2011
 Almost 15% of Americans will spend their 2010 tax refund on a big-ticket item, such as a TV, furniture, or a car. Source: NRF survey conducted by BIGresearch. - GameStop CEO, Albuquerque police chief to headline Loss Prevention Conference
J. Paul Raines, CEO of GameStop, and Albuquerque Chief of Police Ray Shultz will address more than 2,600 retail loss prevention executives during NRF's 2011 Loss Prevention Conference & EXPO. NRF has also invited Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, to share her insights on what the nation has in store for security and protecting the homeland in the decade to come. The conference will take place June 13-15 in Dallas. Learn more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - How the recession humbled Howard Schultz
Starbucks' chief Howard Schultz seems a changed man in his second go-round at the helm of the ubiquitous coffee chain he built from a lone Seattle store to a global brand that for many is synonymous with coffee. Schultz reclaimed the top spot in 2008, amid recession-era belt-tightening that hit the chain's sales hard. This profile details his plans for the chain's future and illustrates his newly humble approach to leading. The New York Times (free registration) (3/12) - Barnie's Coffee aims to serve a classier cuppa joe
Orlando-based Barnie's Coffee Kitchen aims to shift its reputation from plain old coffee company to cool java joint, with remodeled stores, a new name and an extensive line of "pour-over" coffees and lattes. The 25-store chain may face a tough road as it seeks to expand in a market dominated by big players including Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, says Technomic's David Henkes. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) (3/15)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Fast-fashion business models require retailers to turn over their inventory two to three times faster than traditional stores. This places a huge emphasis on selecting the ideal mix of sizes for each location. Learn how one company increased sales and reduced losses by optimizing its size profiling process. Read the success story.
Interested in learning more about advertising in NRF SmartBrief? Contact Susan W. Kim at (202) 407-7877 or skim@smartbrief.com.  | |  | |  |
| Editor's Note | | | | - How are you helping relief efforts in Japan?
If you or your company, organization or group want to help the Japanese people recover from last week's earthquake and tsunami but aren't sure how to do so, InterAction provides options. An alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental aid organizations, InterAction has compiled a list of groups that are accepting private, corporate and group donations, along with some guidelines for the most appropriate ways to help. --Rick Stamberger, CEO of SmartBrief
What is your organization doing to help? Share your story with us. | Career Track | | | |
 | |  | | | | |  |  Merchant Opportunities at Kohl's | Kohl's | Menomonee Falls, WI | | Senior Buyer, Sports & Outdoors | Amazon.com | Seattle, WA | | Vice-President 24HourFitness.com | 24 Hour Fitness | San Ramon, CA | | Softlines Sourcing Manager | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | Sr. Labor/Employment Attorney | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | Product Development Foods Associate | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | Senior Marketing Manager, Search Engine Optimization | macys.com | San Francisco, CA | | General Manager, Merchandise | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | 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 | | Retail Manager | Tri-County Feeds | Marshall, VA | | | |  | |  |
| SmartQuote | | | |  | The reason for so much bad science is not that talent is rare, not at all; what is rare is character."
--Sigmund Freud,
Austrian founder of psychoanalysis  |
| | This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers.data@blogger.com
| | | | | | | | | Recent NRF SmartBrief Issues: - Monday, March 14, 2011
- Friday, March 11, 2011
- Thursday, March 10, 2011
- Wednesday, March 09, 2011
- Tuesday, March 08, 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 |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please comment thoughtfully CPG Brokers, your best resource to optimize your in store self exposure and maximize sku distribution.