 | March 29, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
- Wal-Mart reopens 12 of 24 stores damaged in Japan disaster
The earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan damaged 24 of Wal-Mart's 371 stores in the country, but 12 of them were open for business on Monday, and the retailer plans to open the others as soon as possible. Two of the stores were completely covered in mud, but workers at the other 22 locations set up shop in the parking lots shortly after the disaster to give away bottled water and noodles and sell some limited items. Reuters (3/28)       - 7-Eleven mobilizes for Japanese disaster relief
Almost 39,000 7-Eleven stores worldwide are raising money for disaster relief in Japan. "We want to connect with our customers around the world to assist Japan and its people in rebuilding their lives after such devastating disasters," said President and CEO Joe DePinto. The effort includes collection canisters and a company contribution. Convenience Store News (3/28)  | Prevent employee theft in distribution centers
Brijot's Loss Prevention solution can be easily integrated into your existing security procedures. Personnel in your warehouses or DC's can screen for concealed items with fast throughput scanners and you are able to protect your assets without worrying about employee health or privacy concerns. | - Consumer spending continues 8-month upswing in February
Consumer spending rose 0.7% in February, making it the eighth consecutive month of growth and easing some concerns about the economy. Adjusted for inflation, consumption rose 0.3%, according to a Commerce Department report released Monday. "Consumers could have endured these higher [gasoline] prices by cutting back on discretionary purchases, but they did not," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. The Wall Street Journal (3/29) - Experiential gift cards aim to spread "social capital"
The latest trend in gift cards involves giving loved ones the gift of new experiences, from romantic dinners for two in Manhattan to surfing in California. Sellers including Smartbox, Cloud 9 Living and Xperience Days say the new cards are winning fans because they make givers feel creative and give recipients choices of exciting new experiences they can share with their social networks. "Status is out, social capital is in. ... You can post pictures of your African-safari experience, but you can't put up a picture of your Mercedes. That's tacky," said Mintel analyst Susan Menke. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (3/28) - Luxury retailers are betting big on China's wealthiest consumers
China boasts 115 billionaires and almost 1 million millionaires, and luxury retailers including Dolce & Gabbana and Ralph Lauren are betting big with plans to add stores there in the coming years. Other merchants have made similar moves in recent years, only to find that many of China's wealthiest prefer to do their high-end shopping in other countries, where prestige is higher and prices are lower -- only 40% of the $13 billion in luxury purchases by China's consumers were made at home last year. CNBC (3/28)  | The Print Big Save Big Sale. Save up to 55% on all banners. Affordable, custom-made signs, banners, posters and displays from FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers℠. Get your message out in a big way with everything from full-color banners to photo-quality posters, to yard signs, auto magnets and more. Offer ends 5/15. |
 - Fashism 2.0 debuts with enhanced sharing features
Fashism, a mobile application and social game aimed at making brick-and-mortar shopping more fun by allowing users to seek fashion advice from other users by uploading pictures of themselves, has launched a new version that adds even more sharing features and geo-location technology that lets shoppers identify their exact locations. The app also includes an augmented reality feature that enables users' smartphones to identify the highest-rated outfit in each nearby store. Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) (3/28)  | Akamai - The Right Partner with the Right Solution
Are you failing to to satisfy user expectations for an outstanding online shopping experience? Do you need to accelerate your dynamic content? Do you strive to be a retailer that pushes the envelope with site technology and offerings? Learn why the Akamai Dynamic Site Accelerator is the right solution for those issues and more. |
 - 5 ways to prepare for disaster
It doesn't take a magnitude 9.0 quake to wreak havoc on a small business, writes Rieva Lesonsky. To prepare for the burst pipes and office fires that can strike at any time, create a disaster plan, back up your data and keep insurance up to date. Also, make sure your suppliers are geographically diverse to minimize the effect on your business if a natural disaster hits one part of the country or the world. GrowSmartBusiness.com (3/28)  | Complimentary Aberdeen Cross-Channel Research
Learn what your competitors are planning and doing now to advance from multi-channel to integrated cross-channel retailing, and how you can keep pace. This in-depth, 30-page market research report - a $399 value - is now yours at no cost. |
| NRF News |  | | | - Save the date for NRF's Washington Leadership Conference
Whether you're a big box, independent retailer, chain restaurateur or state association executive, your voice matters and needs to be heard. Bringing together retail industry leaders and policymakers, NRF will host its 76th annual Washington Leadership Conference June 20-21 in our nation's capital. We know retail is important -- let's make it more important to those on Capitol Hill. Learn more. - NRF SmartStat: March 29, 2011
 Almost 80% of retailers ranked driving up customer loyalty as their top strategic objective for 2011, compared with only 65% last year. Source: Retail Horizons 2011. - When retailers will report monthly sales in 2011
NRF's 4-5-4 calendar serves as a voluntary guide for the retail industry and ensures sales comparability between years by dividing the year into months based on a 4 weeks/5 weeks/4 weeks format. The 4-5-4 calendar also establishes sales release dates, which have historically been on the first Thursday following the month's end. NRF has released calendars for 2011, 2012 and 2013. View the calendars.
 | Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Hardee's aims turkey burger at "young, hungry guys" who count calories
 Hardee's recently became the first national quickservice chain to add a turkey burger to the permanent menu, aiming to appeal to its target demographic of young, male customers. The chain partnered with "Eat This, Not That" co-author Matt Goulding, who spent time with chefs in Hardee's test kitchens to develop a sandwich that met taste expectations as well as health requirements, said spokeswoman Jenna Petroff. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Restaurants (3/29) - Orders of Wendy's fries rise 10% with new recipe
Orders that include fries have increased at Wendy's since the chain introduced -- and heavily marketed -- its new, crispier, skin-on version flavored with sea salt. Additionally, consumer surveys show that a significant percentage of guests who have tried the fries would recommend them to friends, a key metric for a chain that in the past often lost the "veto vote" in favor of chains with better-tasting fries, some industry experts say. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (3/28)  | |  | | | | |  |  Merchant Opportunities at Kohl's | Kohl's | Menomonee Falls, WI | | Senior Buyer, Sports & Outdoors | Amazon.com | Seattle, WA | | Senior Marketing Manager | Stage Stores, Inc. | Houston, TX | | Senior Project Manager | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | | Director of Customer Loyalty | Aeropostale | New York, NY | | Vice-President 24HourFitness.com | 24 Hour Fitness | San Ramon, CA | | Regional Retail Point of Sale (ROPS) Coordinator/NTE 2 years | Headquarters, MCCS | Quantico, VA | | Industrial Engineer LOGS | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Sr. Strategy Project Manager, Logistics | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Senior Planner, Various Categories | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Replenishment Manager | Walmart | Bentonville, AR | | Distribution Center Area Director | PetSmart | Atlanta, GA | | Energy Manager | Tractor Supply Company | Brentwood, TN | | General Manager, Merchandise | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | Retail Manager | Tri-County Feeds | Marshall, VA | | Inventory Manager | Tractor Supply Company | brentwood, TN | | | |  | |  |
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