| March 11, 2011 | News for the retail industry |  |  | |
| Industry Watch |  |  | | - February retail sales saw biggest gain in 4 months
U.S. retail sales rose 1% in February, the biggest gain in four months, as higher employment rates and warmer weather spurred more consumers to shop for apparel and other items, even as they spent more on gas, according to a Commerce Department report released Friday. "Some of the strength we saw during the holidays continued into this year. That bodes well for the economy remaining on track for recovery," said Gary Thayer of Wells Fargo Advisors. Reuters (3/11), Bloomberg (3/11)      - Blockbuster gains court approval for a bankruptcy sale
A federal bankruptcy judge approved a procedure to auction off Blockbuster, clearing the way for a group of hedge funds to buy the video-rental chain in lieu of liquidation. The group's $290 million bid had sparked concern among movie studios that are owed money for selling DVDs to the chain, so lawyers tweaked the deal to win studio approval. The Wall Street Journal (3/11) - Wal-Mart to begin building small-format U.S. stores
Wal-Mart plans to break ground on its first Express store next week, in a small town about 20 miles from the retailer's Bentonville, Ark., headquarters. The 14,400-square-foot store slated to open as early as May will be less than one-tenth the size of the chain's average large-format store, and will include grocery and pharmacy sections. Wal-Mart plans to open as many as 40 small stores in urban and rural areas this year. Bloomberg Businessweek (3/9) - Wal-Mart to launch online ordering for in-store pickup: Wal-Mart plans to roll out a program that allows consumers to order products online and pick them up at nearby stores, usually within four hours. Sears and Nordstrom already offer similar programs, which merchants say increase traffic to their stores and have the potential to boost additional sales to customers when they arrive to pick up their orders. The New York Times (free registration) (3/10)
- City Sports aims for style with new athletic apparel line
Boston-based retailer City Sports plans to debut a new line of athletic wear with a focus on fashion next week, in time to appeal to residents gearing up to train for the Boston Marathon. The new styles represent an upgrade for the 18-store chain's 5-year-old private-label apparel line. "We want our products to look good so if you're done running, you can run errands," said design head Chrissy Durden. Boston Herald (3/10)  | Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN has unlimited Membership Rewards® points potential:
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  - Retailers poised for home-remodeling boom
Home remodelers will spend $125.1 billion in the first quarter this year, a 9.2% increase from a year ago, according to a report from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. Lowe's and Home Depot are hiring more seasonal workers to meet consumer interest in fixing up their homes, and baby boomers will lead this year's spending to remodel their homes for retirement. Bloomberg (3/10) - Research: Rising gas prices shift spending patterns in unexpected ways
Consumers forced to spend more to fill their tanks as gas prices rise do cut back in other areas, but they're much more likely to shift from one national brand to another that's on sale rather than move to private-label products, according to new research. Consumers view brand name products as affordable indulgences, and will even cut back their consumption rather than switch to lesser-known private label brands, researchers found. CNBC/Consumer Nation blog (3/10)  - How HauteLook makes the best 5 minutes of the day even better
 Flash-sale site HauteLook's typical customers spend five minutes on the site within a half an hour of receiving their daily e-mails, providing the company with a key opportunity to capitalize on what it calls "the best five minutes of the day," said Greg Bettinelli, senior vice president of marketing. The efforts begin with personalized e-mails sent within the same 10-minute window each day and lead users to a website designed to engage visitors and keep them around longer, plus content that's optimized for growing mobile and social channels. NRF Blog (3/10) - Retailers and the rise of F-commerce
Facebook and its role in retail was a hot topic at NRF's Innovate 2011 conference this week, as presenters shared their thoughts on why F-commerce, or Facebook-commerce, may be retail's new frontier. Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy now sell gift cards loaded with Facebook credits, and brick-and-mortar merchants including Wet Seal and Steve Madden are seeing success with social strategies aimed at increasing customer engagement. Investor's Business Daily (3/10)  | 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. |
 - Training essential for sales staff using mobile technology
As more retailers employ mobile devices to boost sales, it is imperative that sales associates be trained on tools such as the iPad, writes StorefrontBacktalk's Frank Hayes. Best Buy said this week it's considering arming employees with tablets, Home Depot staffers already have mobile devices, and J.C. Penney and Nordstrom have recently launched in-store iPad tests. StorefrontBacktalk (3/9)  | 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. |
| NRF News | | | | - Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren, The Home Depot win big at Racie Awards Luncheon
Ralph Lauren took home the top award at yesterday's Racie Awards Luncheon, held during NRF's Innovation and Marketing Conference in San Francisco. The coveted Racie Award honors the industry's most innovative and creative marketing and advertising campaigns. Additionally, Kohl's was honored with the Peter Glen Award this year, which is awarded to companies who give back to their community or environment in a unique way. Read more. - NRF SmartStat: March 11, 2011
 For eight in 10 retailers, leadership development is going to be a top priority in 2011, up from 69% in 2010. Source: Retail Horizons 2011 - February brings more good news for nation's retailers
Improvements in the U.S. economy bolstered retailer's February sales, reflecting improved consumer sentiment as it relates to spending. According to the National Retail Federation, retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) for February rose 0.6% seasonally adjusted from January and 4.2% unadjusted year-over-year. Read more.
| Chain Restaurant News | | | | - Seattle's Best protests Borders' plan to close 200 stores
Starbucks' Seattle's Best division is worried that Borders' plan to close about 200 stores as part of a bankruptcy reorganization could cause damage to its brand, as the stores include Seattle's Best-branded cafes. The coffee chain lodged a protest with the bankruptcy court, saying the bookseller's plan doesn't adequately address how the cafe closings will be handled and how the company plans to protect Seattle's Best's trade secrets. The Wall Street Journal/Bankruptcy Beat (3/9) - Urban Flats franchisees to stay open amid bankruptcy
Orlando, Fla.-based restaurant chain Urban Flats filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week, but several franchisees say their eateries will remain open. The 6-year-old chain was started by Suzanne Bonham, who previously spent about 10 years at Disney opening new restaurants in Europe and on the company's cruise ships. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) (3/9) | Career Track | | | |
 | |  | | | | |  |  Merchant Opportunities at Kohl's | Kohl's | Menomonee Falls, WI | | 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 | | Senior Buyer, Sports & Outdoors | Amazon.com | Seattle, WA | | Softlines Sourcing Manager | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | National Account Manager | Specialty Store Services | Nationwide, United States | | Senior Marketing Manager, Search Engine Optimization | macys.com | San Francisco, CA | | Sr. Labor/Employment Attorney | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | Product Development Foods Associate | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | | 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 | | Retail Manager | Tri-County Feeds | Marshall, VA | | General Manager, Merchandise | Smithsonian Enterprises | Washington, DC | | | |  | |  |
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